


Worth of A Paladin

by Rururinchan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A lot of personal headcanons involved here, Agender Pidge | Katie Holt, And still think she's a guy, Angst, Anxiety, But he/him is used during others' POV cuz they don't know her gender yet, But with reason I promise, Canon-Typical Violence, Changing a lot of canon details, Especially Keith, Everyone has communication issues, Everyone's POV at some point, Follows Canon Until End of Chapter 3, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Keith is pretty OOC tbh, Memory Loss, Mixed pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge uses feminine pronouns here, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Probably monthly updates, Trans Lance (Voltron), written before season 2 came out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:39:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 102,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8058484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rururinchan/pseuds/Rururinchan
Summary: What was it that made one worthy of being a Paladin of Voltron? Was it skill and bravery? Knowledge and power? Or something else entirely? In order to defeat the Galra Empire, the team would have to figure out the answer to the question, and they would also need to learn how to understand and bond with one another, which wasn't easy when one of them was a complete stranger with dangerous secrets, and the only one who did know him didn't even have any memories left of him...***************This is basically an AU where Keith was fully raised in the Galra Empire and I'm messing around with canon.





	1. Fated Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly can't believe thinking of a summary legitimately took me longer than writing the actual whole first chapter. :(
> 
> But enough of about that. Hi there, I'm Rururinchan and this is my first ever fanfic on AO3 (and yes, I have fallen deep into Voltron hell with no regrets). I didn't really edit this, but I hope everyone enjoys it, but I must admit the first two chapters are kinda boring since they closely follow the show's first episode, but I did fill in missing scenes and change some details, so if you're interested please give them a try! Thank you! Comments and critiques are all welcome and helpful, please send them!
> 
> EDIT (10th Oct 2016) : I ended up changing the summary entirely cuz the original didn't match how the story went well enough, which honestly should say a lot about my summary skills. :/ Either way I like this summary better now.

When Lance saw the alien space ship go down, he felt a surge of excitement and disbelief jolt through him. Sure, he may have initially discredited Pidge’s theories of aliens, but now that there was actual possible proof, who was he to deny it? Besides, real, live aliens? How cool was that?!  
  
“Hunk come on!” He called back to the bulkier teen, who he heard muttering something in annoyance before following closely behind.  
  
It took a while for the trio to get near the crash site. Unfortunately for them, the site had been further than anticipated, and as they had no choice but to go there on foot, it was no surprise that multiple vehicles carrying Garrison authorities had already arrived and finished setting up a giant dome of…something. Not wanting to risk getting caught, the three of them opted to keep watch atop a cliff not far from it, watching through Pidge’s binoculars.  
  
“Woah, what the heck is that thing?” Lance commented, spotting a weird-looking purple ship which he assumed was the flaming meteor they saw earlier. He scrolled over to the entrance of the dome, where a female Garrison official was speaking to an armoured soldier.  
  
“And who the heck is she???” He couldn’t resist saying, which earned him a smack from Pidge, effectively knocking him out of distraction. Pidge’s smacks hurt for someone so small.  
  
Lance refocused on the main dome, wondering what was inside, but with the number of Garrison officials and soldiers there…  
  
“We’ll never get past all those guards to get a look.” He complained, feeling disappointed. He really wanted to know what was in that thing. Beside him, Hunk shifted.  
  
“Aw man, yeah, I guess there’s nothing to do but head back to the barracks…” The big guy said, though despite his words Lance didn’t miss the all-too-relieved tone in his voice. He didn’t comment on it though. Hunk started to stand and attempted to move away, but Pidge interrupted, much to Lance’s secret joy.  
  
“Wait, they set up a camera in there and I grabbed its feed,” Pidge informed them, and Lance had to admit he was impressed, though not out loud, “Look.”  
  
Pidge moved back from the screen as Lance and Hunk shifted to take a look. Lance’s eyes widened when he realized the dome room contained three researchers in quarantine suits and a very familiar, and very human, person strapped down and struggling on an examination table, yelling terrified protests about “them” destroying worlds, and that “aliens were coming”. What…?  
  
“That’s Shiro! From the Kerberos Mission!” Lance exclaimed, finally recognizing the familiar struggling human, “That guy’s my hero!”  
  
“Guess he’s not dead in space after all.” Hunk added with a tone of apprehension.  
  
“But where’s the rest of the crew?” Pidge questioned, and for some reason, Lance was sure he heard a tinge of sadness and disappointment in the smaller kid’s voice, but otherwise brushed it off and focused on the feed.  
  
The researchers were questioning Shiro, and Shiro was obviously freaking out and trying to fight back, but Lance couldn’t really hear what they were saying, only catching static-y hints of “aliens”, “no time”, “a weapon”, etc. Pidge was concentrating as they remained silent, and Lance guessed he was trying hard to listen clearly with those headphones. He doubted the camera came with a high-grade microphone after all.  
  
“Voltron!” Pidge exclaimed, causing the trio to look at each other in shock and disbelief. Voltron? Wasn’t that what Pidge was saying he heard aliens talk about? What was going on??  
  
A sudden panicked shout from Shiro drew back their attention, and Lance turned back to see that the looked like they were gonna inject him with something. Shiro was struggling harder, yelling more about how there was “no time”, but it seemed his words fell on deaf ears.  
  
“They didn’t even ask about the rest of the crew.” Pidge stated, and this time, Lance glanced at him, absolutely certain that there was that negative hint to the smaller kid’s voice.  
  
“But I don’t get it,” Lance commented, deciding the file Pidge’s concern for later, “that guy’s a legend, and they’re not even gonna listen to him?”  
  
“We have to get him out.” Pidge declared with finality, not that Lance was gonna disagree. Hunk on the other hand…  
  
“Um, guys, I hate to be the voice of reason there, but weren’t we just watching through the feed because there was no way to get past the guards?” Hunk questioned, really obviously trying to find a way to avoid getting involved.  
  
“Well that was before we had the proper motivation,” Lance countered, “We just gotta think…”  
  
The following minute was then half-silence, and half-ridiculous ideas on how to sneak in. With Hunk suggesting, again, that they head back to the barracks. Lance really didn’t get his lack of a sense of adventure.  
  
“This isn’t going to work,” Lance said, “we’re gonna need a distraction…”  
  
Well, speak of the devil…  
  
A massive string of explosions erupted about a few miles north of the site, shocking the trio, with Hunk panicking and fearing the aliens were attacking. But Pidge noticed something different.  
  
“No guys look!” He exclaimed, pointing downwards, “Those explosions were a distraction, for him!”  
  
Lance followed Pidge’s gaze (and finger), and he saw the small figure of an unknown hovercraft landing behind a large rock formation just outside the site.  
  
“The Garrison went to check out the blasts, and he’s coming in from the other side!” Pidge explained, and Lance wasted no time in snatching up the binoculars and zooming in on this mysterious craft. He watched in confusion as the hovercraft, a striking red and white vehicle with turquoise lights shining, landed safely, with its rider, sporting the same colour scheme as the vehicle (really though how cliché was that), jumping off and immediately running towards the dome with amazing speed. Lance couldn’t see his face, as it was shielded with a ridiculous-looking mullet of black hair.  
  
“Who is that?” Lance questioned, completely taken aback at the fact that a single person was gonna run into a heavily-guarded site alone.  
  
“I don’t know, but this is our chance, come on!” Pidge declared, rushing off, taking a shortcut down a makeshift slide in the rock. Lance and Hunk gave each other a glance, before they followed Pidge. As confused as he was, Lance wanted to know what was going on, and anyway, he wanted to make sure Shiro was safe too.  
  
The three of them entered the dome within minutes, just in time to see the mysterious intruder slicing Shiro’s restraints with a sharp dagger and putting the larger man’s arm over his shoulders.  
  
“Hold it!” Lance called, disregarding any caution, “What do you want with Shiro?!”  
  
The mullet-head stranger glared at him with unusual, intense purple eyes. Huh, that was a colour you didn’t see every day. On closer inspection, the stranger appeared to be in his late teens, and seemed to be of East Asian descent. He didn’t seem to be much taller than Lance, though maybe looked a tad skinnier.  
  
“Who are you?” Mullet-Head (until he got a name this was what Lance would refer to him as) demanded, “If you get in my way…”  
  
“No no, hold up,” Lance interrupted, knowing they were short on time, “look, if you’re here to save Shiro, then so are we. Let me help.”  
  
“I don’t need help from you!” Mullet-Head snapped, but Lance ignored him and went over to pick up Shiro’s other arm.  
  
“Look, we don’t have much time, and you can’t carry Shiro on your own okay?” Lance reasoned, earning yet another glare. Jeez, what was this guy’s problem?!  
Mullet-Head scoffed. “Fine, but I’m leaving you behind if you dare slow me down.”  
  
Lance frowned but didn’t protest as they hurried back to the stranger’s hovercraft thing. Unfortunately, despite the short distance, turns out it was really hard to run while having to support an unconscious man near twice Lance’s own weight, especially with another added factor of Mullet-Head clearly having no intention of synchronizing their steps and pushed forward with a stubbornness that Lance hadn’t experienced before, forcing Lance to push his own limits to keep up and prevent Shiro from slipping through his grasp.  
  
When they finally reached the hovercraft, the Garrison troops were already in sight, and clearly, they were really mad.  
  
“Er do you mind if we catch a ride with you?” Hunk asked, though didn’t bother waiting for an answer as Lance loaded Shiro onto the craft while Mullet-Head got to the front. The big guy had opted to jump directly onto the tail of the craft, and the sudden shift in equilibrium made everyone else shoot straight up momentarily.  
  
“Hunk!” Lance complained.  
  
“Sorry!” Hunk replied sheepishly.  
  
“Is this…thing…gonna be big enough for all of us?” Pidge asked Mullet-Head.  
  
“…No.” was the reply. Yep. Real helpful there buddy.  
  
The Garrison were approaching, and Lance was beginning to feel some panic himself. If they got caught…  
  
Luckily, Mullet-Head’s uncertainty proved to be for nothing, as the craft whirled to life and took off away from the Garrison troops. Lance and Pidge held Shiro up, with only minor complaints on Pidge’s part, while Hunk held on to the tail for dear life as he made a comment about how astounded he was that they actually all managed to fit. Mullet-Head remained disturbingly silent, focusing only on driving them out of the danger zone.  
  
Lance looked back, the Garrison were catching up. “Can’t this thing go any faster?!”  
  
“We could toss out some non-essential weight.” Mullet-Head deadpanned, and Lance looked around for said weight for a moment before realization hit him.  
  
“Okay, so that was an insult…” he started to say, but he was cut off by Mullet-Head yelling at Hunk.  
  
“Big Man lean left!”  
  
Hunk complied at once, probably too freaked out to protest, and the craft violently swerved to the left and threw the troops into slight disarray, but it was enough to cause one of the vehicles to overturn after the sudden swerve proved too much for it. Hunk was frantic at this point, talking about somethings Lance couldn’t process right then. His heart was racing and his mind was reeling, his adrenaline taking over and making him focus on the escape (even though he wasn’t the one driving, but you get the point).  
  
They ascended after the swerve, and Mullet-Head once again yelled at Hunk to lean, this time to the right. They flew off the side of the cliff path, and onto a curved rock formation that was just smooth enough for them, but clearly too much for the two Garrison vehicles that attempted to follow them, both overturning, but only one recovering when the ground beneath them stabilized. The whole scenario reminded Lance of those high speed sports car races he’d seen on TV, only, this had to be WAY more extreme.  
  
“Uh, guys, hatatatatat is that a cliff up ahead?” Hunk pointed out nervously. Lance looked up and felt the blood drain from his face. Sure enough, right in front of them, was a dead end cliff…and Mullet-Head was not slowing down in the slightest.  
  
“Oh no no no no!” Lance yelled amongst Pidge and Hunk’s equally panicked protests, but Mullet-Head clearly had other plans.  
  
“Yup!” was all he said, and Lance swore he heard a hint of amusement. Then, to Lance’s horror, Mullet-Head leaned forward, and sped up straight towards their doom. At least  
Lance now knew one thing for sure.  
  
_**THIS GUY WAS FREAKIN’ INSANE!**_  
  
The hovercraft shot over the edge of the cliff, quickly plunging downwards in the deadly nosedive. Lance was sure they were no longer being followed, but was this really all worth it?! He was actually starting to think Hunk was right about this little mission of theirs!  
  
“What are you doing you’re gonna kill us all!!!” Lance screamed.  
  
“Shut up and trust me!” Mullet-Head responded angrily, before expertly hitting the breaks on the craft just before they hit the ground, then forcing the craft into a slight but swift ascent by literally pulling up. This quickly stabilized the craft, and they sped forward deep into the desert, with the remaining Garrison vehicle watching helplessly from the cliff, no longer able to follow.  
  
“…”  
  
“……”  
  
“…………..”  
  
No one said anything for a while. Everyone, upon realizing they were now safe from being chased by the Garrison, felt the rush of the adrenaline subsiding, and a wave of exhaustion washed over the group. Lance was feeling somewhat dazed, his mind still processing that all that had just happened…just happened. He never thought this would be how his night out would end up.  
  
“Hey, are you all okay over there?” Mullet-Head asked, a surprisingly gentler hint to his words. He wasn’t looking at them, still focused on the road, but Lance couldn’t deny that the concern was (mostly) appreciated.  
  
“Yep we’re good here.” He answered, and Mullet-Head turned his head back ever so slightly with a nod of acknowledgement.  
  
“Don’t worry, we’re almost at my hideout. We’ll be safe there.” He assured.  
  
“Hey, how did you know Shiro anyway? Why were you trying to save him?” Pidge asked, and Lance saw the guy stiffen. There was some silence before Mullet-Head spoke again.  
  
“…I’ll explain when we get to the hideout.”  
  
And that was that. That is, until Lance saw exactly where Mullet-Head was taking them.  
  
“THAT is your hideout???” Lance exclaimed in incredulity, unable to hold back his disappointment at seeing that Mullet-Head’s hideout was no more than a broken down shack in the middle of nowhere. For some reason, he expected a cool secret base inside a high tech cave or something, considering how high tech his ride appeared to be.  
  
The hovercraft landed next to it and Mullet-Head jumped off, shooting a glare at Lance. Okay, that was getting a little old.  
  
“You have a better one?” He asked with an annoyed expression, obviously in response to the previous comment. Lance held his hands up in surrender.  
  
“No no, it’s just…a little underwhelming okay?” He retorted, and Mullet-Head rolled his eyes.  
  
“Just help me get Shiro into the shack,” He said, “he needs his rest.”  
  
“Are you gonna explain what’s going on soon?” Pidge urged. Mullet-Head’s famous glare got directed towards him, his expression filled with nothing but impatience and irritation.  
  
“I already told you I would, but having an unconscious man on my shoulders doesn’t make it really convenient to do so.” He snapped, “So the sooner we get him to rest, the sooner you can get the explanation you’re so desperate about.”  
  
“Hey calm down, it wasn’t as if Pidge was forcing you to say anything right now.” Lance retorted. Mullet-Head raised an eyebrow.  
  
“'Pi…dge…?’” he parroted, “That’s a weird name.”  
  
“Hey!” Pidge exclaimed, and Lance had to hold back a snort.  
  
“Oh yeah, we haven’t managed to introduce ourselves yet. I’m…” Hunk tried, but Mullet-Head shook his head.  
  
“Not now. Just let me get Shiro to bed and we’ll have all the time in the world to talk.” He told them, then proceeded to essentially drag the still-unconscious Shiro into the shack, kicking the door open with his foot.  
  
“Jeez, what’s his problem?” Lance muttered as he and his buddies walked in after Mullet-Head, who had set Shiro up on the couch, with a thin blanket draped over the man’s sturdy frame. He looked up at the three of them, his purple eyes still intense, his expression still cautious and untrusting. Lance frowned.  
  
“Okay now that Shiro’s all tucked in, mind telling us what you dragged us into?” Lance asked, and well, apparently that was the wrong thing to say.  
  
“ _ **I**_ dragged you into this?!” Mullet-Head yelled in indignation, “Last time I checked, I was planning on heading in alone when you three showed up out of nowhere!”  
  
“Hey we were there first, and we were planning on saving Shiro too!” Lance yelled back, though he was internally cringing at the weak response he gave. It sounded a lot less effective when the words actually left his mouth, compared to how it sounded in his head.  
  
“Woah cool it! You’re gonna wake Shiro!” Pidge reminded, getting in between the two before they could start an all-out fight (which Lance would totally win, by the way), “Why not we go probably talk about this outside while we let Shiro rest?”  
  
Lance and Mullet-Head glared at each other for a bit longer, before Mullet-Head let out a sign of defeat and stepped outside without a word. Lance grumbled a little, then noticed Hunk and Pidge both giving him a look of disapproval.  
  
“What?” Lance asked, only slightly fearing the answer.  
  
“You know you could’ve been a little more refined.” Pidge scolded, crossing his arms.  
  
“Yeah Lance, clearly this guy isn’t exactly the most…er…’normal’ person we’ve met,” Hunk added on, though with a significantly higher amount of wariness, “point is, we don’t know the guy at all. We should try and make sure he’s really on our side.”  
  
Lance looked at them for a moment, then, like Mullet-Head earlier, he too sighed in relief. Well, his buddies made good points, or at least, Hunk did.  
  
“Fine, I’ll apologize, but I’m getting answers whether he likes it or not.” Lance stated. The other two seemed satisfied with this, and the three proceeded outside. There, Mullet-Head appeared to be checking the hovercraft.  
  
“Hey.” Lance said simply, deciding to be more careful with his approach. Fortunately, Mullet-Head seemed to be slightly less on edge at the moment, and turned to look at them.  
  
“……..Hey.” He responded, blinking. Lance couldn’t help but stare at his eyes, mostly because he couldn’t understand why they always looked so intense. Both of them stood there, awkwardly, until Pidge cleared his throat.  
  
“So, anyway,” He said, shooting Lance a look as he walked up to Mullet-Head and held out a hand, “I’m Pidge, this is Hunk,” – Pidge pointed a thumb towards the big guy – “and the loud, annoying one is Lance.”  
  
“Hey Pidge!” Lance protested, but was ignored.  
  
“So what’s your name?” Pidge finally asked, hand still out, awaiting a shake.  
  
Mullet-Head stared down at Pidge’s hand, making no move to take the greeting. Pidge soon got the message, lowering his hand after a few moment of hanging. Mullet-Head then looked back up at the three, eyes still so intense. It was starting to get creepy.  
  
“…My name is Keith.” Mullet-Head, er, Keith, said, “I used to be a cadet at the Galaxy Garrison. I dropped out about a year ago. Back then, Shiro and I were…well, we knew each other well enough.”  
  
“You were with Garrison once?” Hunk asked, clearly surprised, “But we’ve never seen you around there.”  
  
“I told you, I dropped out. There wasn’t much for me there really. I’ve been staying here ever since.” Keith continued, “There really isn’t a whole lot to explain here. Since Shiro disappeared, I’ve been tracking space signals. It’s only recently that I got any sign of activity though.”  
  
“Wait, you’ve been tracking signals too?” Pidge questioned, reminding Lance that Pidge had been doing the same thing for a while too. Keith’s eyes widened in surprise, which made that the first time Lance sees him not looking so intense.  
  
“What do you mean, ‘too’?” He asked back.  
  
“I’ve been scanning the solar system, and recently, I’ve been picking up alien chatter.” Pidge explained, beginning to take things out of his backpack, his laptop and notebook in particular, “Earlier, when we were watching Shiro on that examination table, he mentioned something about ‘Voltron’. And from the chatter I got, it seems the aliens are saying the same things.”  
  
Pidge held out his notebook, and Keith took a look. He seemed slightly confused, probably at Pidge’s random scribbles and doodles all over, but otherwise seemed to understand. He returned the notebook to Pidge, then placed a hand under his chin as he thought.  
  
“Voltron…huh…” Keith muttered, “I think I may know something about it.”  
  
“You do?!” Pidge exclaimed, almost jumping at him, but Keith apparently saw that coming and held Pidge down.  
  
“Woah, hold on. I don’t know that much, there was only so much I could get from the signals I got.” Keith said, “From what I know, this…Voltron…is some kind of weapon…but that’s really all I know.”  
  
Pidge visibly deflated. He obviously wanted to know more. So Lance decided to change the subject. Just a little.  
  
“Okay then, weird alien weapon aside, what does any of this have to do with Shiro?” He asked Keith, “Because I don’t really see how alien weapons have anything to do with the Kerberos mission he was sent on.”  
  
“Honestly, you’re right.” Keith admitted, turning his attention to Lance, “From what I know, the Kerberos Mission and these strange signals I’ve been getting don’t seem to be related. The only reason I knew Shiro would crash here was because I of some clues I found while searching. I did some research, and it turns out that that object was Shiro.”  
  
“Why would Shiro be on an alien ship?” Hunk asked. Keith crossed his arms across his chest.  
  
“I have no idea. I don’t really understand the situation, I just knew whatever it was, it was important. So I had to make sure for myself I knew what was going on.” He said, and Lance felt a tingling sense of suspicion right then. He felt like there was more to the story, more than Mullet-Head Keith was letting on. However, before he could ask any further questions, Lance found himself yawning. Evidently, Keith noticed.  
  
“You guys should get some sleep,” he suggested, “it’s been a pretty long night. We can talk about things in the morning. Unless you want me to take you back to the Garrison?”  
At the mention of the Garrison, Lance felt a little crestfallen. If anyone at the Garrison ever found out about their little expedition, it was a one way ticket to immediate expulsion, and besides, if they left Shiro behind with this stranger named Keith, who may not be as nice of a guy as he looks (hint, sarcasm), who knows what would happen?  
  
“No, we can’t go back,” Lance answered, “they probably already saw we were on that hovercraft of yours. We’d be labeled criminals if we went back.”  
  
When he said that, Lance noticed Keith’s expression change as he gazed down, as if a dark shadow had passed over his eyes. However, it only lasted a mere second, so there wasn’t much to analyze from that. Keith looked up again.  
  
“All right then, there’s an extra room you guys can use here, though there isn’t much in terms of comfort, so you’ll have to deal with that.” He told them, and without another word, he seemed to have decided to continue inspecting his hovercraft.  
  
“You’re not coming in?” Hunk asked, always the concerned one, not that it was a bad thing. Keith looked over his shoulder and shrugged.  
  
“I’m used to late nights,” he explained, “besides, I want to make sure this thing is at 100%, in case the Garrison find us and the need to make a quick escape arises.”  
  
“Oh, okay then. Goodnight.” Hunk said, and he turned to follow Lance and Pidge, who had been waiting for him a few steps ahead, indoors. Once they got inside, Lance looked around for the extra room, and he quickly spotted a door at the corner despite the darkness. Not surprising, as there was really limited space. He opened the door to reveal what was an entirely empty room, save for a single mattress and a small desk and chair, with a large glass window in the side of the wall, letting in the moonlight.  
  
“Well, I guess this is better than sleeping in the sand.” Lance admitted, and proceeded to sit down near the window, choosing not to touch the mattress just yet. Hunk followed suit, choosing a spot next to the mattress, but like Lance, unwilling to actually get on the thing. Pidge on the other hand, decided to take a seat at the small desk, where he pulled out his laptop and began typing.  
  
“Pidge what are you doing?” Lance asked, wondering why the kid was always so hooked on the research.  
  
“Nothing much, just updating some of the data I have, and altering some notes.” Pidge responded without looking up. Hunk fidgeted, looking as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t. Lance decided he needed a little push.  
  
“Something on your mind Hunk?”  
  
At those words, Hunk flinched. He looked at Lance, and at Pidge, who apparently got curious. The big guy sighed.  
  
“It’s just, I don’t really know how to feel about that Keith guy,” Hunk admitted, “I mean, I think I do remember hearing of someone named Keith dropping out of the Garrison, but I also heard he went back home overseas. And that wasn’t a year ago, that was more like a few months ago.”  
  
“Well he is definitely strange,” Pidge added, “I mean, who lives alone in the middle of a desert for a year, with a working hovercraft as well as solar system scanners?”  
  
“I don’t trust him.” Lance stated bluntly, causing the two’s attention to focus on him, “Yeah he saved Shiro, but I get the feeling he isn’t telling us something. I don’t know, I just don’t think we should let our guard down around this guy.”  
  
“Yeah, but he was right about one thing,” Pidge pointed out, “we’re all tired. It’s best for us to get some rest now and ask him more questions in the morning.”  
  
“As long as he doesn’t kill us in his sleep.” Lance mumbled, causing Pidge to roll his eyes at him.  
  
“Don’t be ridiculous, if he wanted us dead, he probably would’ve already attacked us. You saw how good he was when he took down those researchers.” He countered. Lance didn’t really want to turn it into a debate, so he just accepted it for the time being, with only minimal grumbling. Pidge was right, he was tired, they all were. Hopefully things would make more sense after some rest.  
  
Lance let out another yawn, laying down on the hard wooden floor. It really wasn’t all that different from the barracks, but at least their stiff mattresses were clean and not dusty. Still, he would have to make do. He watched Pidge finish up and shut down the laptop, deciding against sleeping on the floor and just resting his head on his arms, hunched over the desk with his glasses on the side. Hunk had fallen asleep shortly after, leaning against the wall, his body tipping slightly towards the lonely mattress, so Lance kinda expected to see the big guy relaxing on it when he woke up.  
  
On that note though, Lance really wasn’t sure if he would be able to bring himself to sleep. He really felt that there was something completely off about this whole thing, and that if he fell asleep, there may be a chance he wouldn’t wake up from it. He didn’t trust this Keith guy. Not one bit. But there were some doubts, after all the guy risked himself and saved Shiro from an entire squad of military-trained Garrison officials. And he would’ve done it alone had Lance and crew not shown up. That had to count for something.  
  
Right?  
  
  
As Lance let his thoughts drift, he slowly, but surely, began to feel sleep try to take over. His eyelids were getting heavy, and the sleepiness was making his mind slightly hazy. However, he was just barely awake enough to notice the slight creaking of the door to their room opening, and light footsteps came close. Lance wanted to jump up and defend himself, but his sleepy self didn’t let him, he was there, unable to shake himself from his daze, helpless at the mercy of…  
  
…a blanket.  
  
Keith had just come in to cover him up with a blanket.  
  
That was…unexpected.  
  
“Sorry you guys had to get involved…” Lance heard Keith whisper, nothing but solemn regret evident in his tone. He then left the room, and Lance couldn’t really remember what happened after that, as he had finally fallen asleep.  
  
_**XXX**_  
  
Shiro only felt an empty darkness surrounding him.  
  
There was nothing to see or hear, it was as if he was alone in the black abyss, trembling there in fear of the unknown.  
  
He seemed to be trapped in the darkness for the longest time, and occasionally, sometimes he was sure that there was a voice cackling at him, telling him things…terrible things. Like…like how he was a murderer, a beast, a ruthless killer. He didn’t understand. He was scared. Terrified.  
  
It lasted so long…too long…  
  
But then, eventually, Shiro began to hear something else. A voice, something almost like a singing voice, calling to him. A familiar voice, but no face ever came to mind. Who was that…?  
  
More voices came, one by one, slowly, calmly. Each and every one of them sounded familiar, but who were they…?  
  
The original voice was the only one he heard every single time, the voice of a song, singing an unrecognizable melody, the words lost in the darkness. But Shiro could never figure it out. It came and went, never staying, but also never really leaving. It was always there, like an old memory…  
  
Then, there was a light.  
  
It was small, and appeared right before him. Shiro didn’t know what it was. But when it appeared, a new voice came to him, and like the others, this one was extremely familiar as well. However, this voice was also different. This voice wasn’t gentle or calm. This voice was urgent and frantic. It was calling him, calling his name.  
  
_‘…Shiro!’_  
  
_‘Shiro!’_  
  
Over and over.  
  
Who are you?  
  
_‘Shiro!!’_  
  
Why are you calling me?  
  
_‘Shiro!!!’_  
  
Who are you?!  
  
…  
  
……  
  
………

“…Shiro, please wake up soon.”  
  
The light erupted and swallowed everything.  
  
That was when Shiro woke up with a start, jolting awake to a sitting position the instant he regained consciousness. He was covered in cold sweat, he was confused, he was…he was…  
  
Shiro blinked as quickly realized he wasn’t in any danger. He was still breathing heavily, his heart rate still rapid. He forced himself to take in some deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He took a look around as he did so, and was rather taken aback to find that he was in what appeared to be a run down shack, with quiet machines at each corner, random boxes and papers here and there, wires laying haphazardly all over the floor, and a massive light grey sheet covering a large part of the wall directly opposite him.

Where was he?  
  
Deciding it would be a good idea to get up and look around, Shiro carefully moved his legs off the couch he had apparently been sleeping him, only to feel something firm against his bare feet. He looked down, surprised to see a young man resting there, head down on the low wooden table, seemingly asleep. The young man, with a messy mop of black hair, dressed in a black shirt and matching pants, stirred when Shiro’s foot made contact with his leg, but otherwise didn’t seem to respond. Shiro wondered if this young man was responsible for bringing him all the way out to…wherever they were.  
  
Not wanting to disturb the man before figuring out his surroundings, Shiro carefully stepped around the sleeping form and the table he rested against, spotting a pair of black boots right beside the couch, looking to be around his size. He pulled them on, determining that he was at least not a prisoner, if any of his possessions were just left in the open, assuming the boots were his to begin with.  
  
He stood up slowly, his body slightly sore, but otherwise is good condition. That is, until he looked at his right arm. A frown appeared on his face as he recalled what had happened to his arm. Aliens…they called themselves something like “Gala”, had captured him and his two crew members, and forced him into combat to fight for his life, aS entertainment for their sick pleasure. One particular match caused his arm to be lost, and was later replaced with this…this thing that was now attached to what remained of it.  
  
It made him sick to think about that.  
  
However, Shiro soon realized that was all he could really remember. Everything else was a fuzzy mess, like TV static in his head, and maybe there were spots where there was nothing at all. Just blank, empty space.  
  
He couldn’t remember anything. What happened to him? How did he escape? Where were the aliens now?  
  
Thinking a little fresh air would be good, Shiro carefully opened the door and stepped outside, too focused on being careful, that he failed to notice the watchful purple eyes silently staring at him.  
  
Noting that the sun was just barely rising, and he took in the cool desert morning with a few deep breaths. He let out a huge sigh at the end of one of them, wondering how he was going to proceed from where he was. He was right, the fresh air did help, and he did manage to recall a few things, like what had happened the previous night, but that was about it. Frankly, that was frustrating.  
  
Shiro decided to try and mentally list down what he did know already. So from what he could recall;  
  
-His name was Takeshi Shirogane, but he went with the name Shiro.  
  
-He was on a mission on Kerberos with two comrades, Sam and Matt Holt, issued by the Galaxy Garrison.  
  
-He was taken along with his comrades, trapped on an alien ship.  
  
-He somehow managed to escape, though how he wasn’t sure, and now he was in the middle of an empty desert.  
  
…….That was a disturbing short list. Frankly, Shiro was extremely unnerved by the fact he couldn’t remember anything more than that. Great.  
  
“Are you feeling okay?” A sudden voice asked, and on instinct, Shiro jumped and spun around at once, readying himself into a battle stance, preparing to attack.  
Only, there was no real threat. It turned out the owner of the voice was the mysterious young man who had been sleeping against the low table in front of him earlier, hands held up in mock surrender. Maybe he wasn’t as asleep as Shiro initially thought.  
  
“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you.” The young man told him, with the slightest inkling of irritation showing through. Shiro relaxed his stance at once, immediately feeling a strange sense of familiarity about this guy.  
  
“…who are you?” He asked.  
  
The young man blinked, lowering his hands. A look of remorse seemed to flash across his features. “You don’t…you don’t recognize me, do you?”  
  
At those words, Shiro instantly felt guilty. Was this young man someone important to him? Had he really forgotten about someone who cared about him?  
  
“N-No…I don’t. I’m sorry.” He admitted, and sure enough the young man’s face seemed to fall even more. They both cast their gaze towards the ground, unsure of what to say.  
  
A minute passed.  
  
“What…What do you remember?” The young man finally asked, and Shiro looked up at him, noticing the earlier distress no longer showed on the man’s face. Instead, a mask of indifference shielded it, and for some reason, that made Shiro’s heart sink further, knowing he must have somehow hurt this person quite a bit. However, he was unsure of what he could do or say to rectify the situation, so instead, he opted to just answer the young man’s questions.  
  
“I…I remember my name, and some of my life here on Earth,” Shiro told him, “I remember I was on a mission with my crew members, on Kerberos, which was where we got taken by the aliens. After that, it’s all bits and pieces. I remember needing to fight, over, and over, but not much more. Though I do remember a bit of last night…”  
  
“…and how you escaped?” The young man asked, his voice steady. But Shiro had to shake his head.  
  
“I wish I could tell you. I don’t remember anything about my escape, just that I got into an escape pod somehow and ended up here.” He said truthfully. The young man dropped his gaze slightly, looking to be deep in thought momentarily.  
  
“Can…Can you tell me your name? I’m assuming you saved me last night, so I would like to thank you properly, at least…” Shiro asked, hoping for anything that may jolt his memory, at least of the young man in front of him.  
  
“…Keith.” The young man said simply, “My name is Keith, but I doubt that name means anything to you.”  
  
“I…” Shiro was taken aback by the blunt accusation, but he couldn’t find the words to counter. The young man, Keith, seemed to have realized his words affected Shiro, and stepped closer to place a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Look, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” He apologized, “It’s just, you were a big part of who I am now, so you not remembering me is a little…off. But…I suppose it’s better than not knowing where you are. So, at the very least, I’m glad you made it back.”  
  
Keith flashed him the slightest hint of a smile, and there is was again, that sense of familiarity, washing through Shiro. He allowed himself to smile in return, just a little bit.  
  
“At the very least, I’m glad to be back. So, thanks for getting me out of there Keith.” He told Keith, but there was one question he had left, “But..how did you know to come find me when I crashed?”  
  
Keith’s smile vanished at once. He removed his hand from Shiro’s shoulder, but not looking away.  
“It’s a bit of a long story, but you might want to come see what I have in the shack.” Keith told him, “Besides, I’m sure the others would want a more in-depth explanation than the one I gave them last night.”  
  
Shiro paused. “Others?”  
  
“Oh right, I forgot to tell you.” Keith admitted, looking slightly sheepish at the oversight, “Last night there were three Garrison cadets that helped me get you out. Their names are Lance, Pidge, and Hunk. They should still be asleep in the spare room.”  
  
“I see. Well, why don’t we head back inside? I’d like to thank them for their help.” Shiro suggested. Keith shrugged, turning around to walk back to the old wooden structure. Shiro watched him for a bit, taking note of the way Keith’s shoulders seemed tense and stiff, how light his footsteps seemed to be, even in the desert sand. There was an air of solitude around him, and for some reason, his presence made Shiro somewhat uneasy, even though this guy was supposed to be someone from his past.  
  
Maybe that was why he couldn’t bring himself to ask exactly how Keith really knew him.  
  
Shiro followed Keith into the shack and found him rummaging through a small stack of boxes behind a set of equipment, which was beeping steadily. He approached carefully, wondering what it was Keith was looking for.  
  
“Ah here,” Keith said suddenly, pulling out a can of what appeared to be sardines or something. He looked over his shoulder, not at all surprised to see Shiro there already, and handed the can to him.  
  
“I don’t have a lot, I’d have to stock up a bit eventually, but you should eat something.” Keith told him, and after Shiro took the can from him with a soft word of thanks, Keith went back to rummaging and pulled out a few more cans of random consumables. Shiro felt a tinge of disapproval, surviving on only canned food wasn’t exactly healthy, but held his tongue, as it seemed that that was all they had at the moment.  
  
Keith dropped the cans on the table he was resting on earlier, gesturing for Shiro to take a seat back on the couch, before handing over a small can opener. He then told Shiro he wanted to go fetch some water from outside, so Shiro let him. It gave him some time and privacy to think.  
  
…Or so he thought.  
  
Just as Keith walked out the door, the small door to the other corner of the room opened, a lanky young man with tanned skin stumbled out, rubbing his eye sleepily. Shiro blinked at him, instinctively making a quick observation. This person must be one of the cadets Keith talked about. He was dressed rather carelessly, though that could be attributed to the poor sleeping conditions they had to deal with, with a loose olive hooded jacket over a grey shirt and jeans, with short but messy brown hair.  
  
For whatever reason, Shiro guessed this was Lance.  
  
Lance (presumably) seemed to notice he was being observed, because he suddenly turned to look in Shiro’s direction, and they stared at each other wordlessly for a moment before an expression of realization appeared on Lance’s face.  
  
“Shi-Shiro! You’re awake!” Lance exclaimed, scurrying towards him, startling Shiro a little, “How are you feeling?!”  
  
“I…I’m feeling all right, I suppose.” Shiro answered, partially overwhelmed by Lance’s suddenly burst of energy. Fortunately, Lance seemed to notice this and drew back.  
  
“Oh sorry about that, guess I’m just a little jumpy.” He said, holding a hand out, “I’m Lance,” – looks like Shiro’s hunch was right after all – “it’s an honor to meet you Shiro, sir.”  
  
“Please, it’s just Shiro.” Shiro replied, holding his hand out to return the gesture. He didn’t miss the ghost of a flinch Lance had when he used his prosthetic arm, but Lance was kind enough to otherwise make no indication that he was bothered, for which Shiro was grateful.  
  
“Lance, do you have to be so loud…?” A softer, though clearly exasperated, voice called from the door as the two other cadets appeared, one with a smaller frame, with glasses and messy , and the other a bulky, tanned guy with black hair tied up with a reddish headband. Both, however, not unlike Lance, quickly noticed Shiro and apparently forgot their grogginess almost at once.  
  
“Oh Shiro, you’re awake!” The smaller one exclaimed, and the bulky one just stared at him with a look of incredulity. Shiro was beginning to feel just the slightest bit uncomfortable with the attention. Thankfully, Keith chose that moment to return with a handful of small bottles, all filled with clean water. He blinked at the sight of the four of them.  
  
“Okay…looks like I won’t have to wake you guys up,” Keith said dully, placing the bottles down on the table, “in any case, you all should probably get something in your system.”  
  
“Huh…is this all you got?” Hunk asked, looking disappointed, and Keith groaned.  
  
“Yeah, sorry. I don’t exactly stock up a lot.” He shrugged. Hunk sighed, but decided against any further complaints and sat down to pick at a can of chicken sausages. Shiro handed him the can opener, which he accepted with a smile.  
  
“You’re not eating Keith?” The smaller guy asked, and Keith shook his head.  
  
“I already ate. I did wake up a lot earlier than you guys did.” He reasoned.  
  
“Oh okay.” The smaller guy replied, “But, by the way, thanks for the jacket last night.”  
  
“Yeah thanks for blanket too.” The bulkier one added on.  
  
“No need, it gets cold in the desert, and trust me, you needed it more I did.” Keith shrugged, the mask of indifference not cracking in the slightest. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
At that, Shiro noticed Lance looking uncertain, but not saying a word. He wasn’t sure what the cause of the uncertainty was, but he decided that properly breaking the ice would be a better option right then.  
  
“So, I didn’t catch your names,” He said, directing his words towards the two nameless faces, “Lance introduced himself already, but you are…?”  
  
“Oh, right,” The smaller one chirped, “I’m Pidge, and this is Hunk. We’re Lance’s teammates back at the Garrison.”  
  
“I see. It’s nice to meet you both.” Shiro said, feeling relieved he had the names now, “I’d like to thank you for helping me last night. And I do apologize if that compromised your positions in the Garrison.”  
  
“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Hunk told him, “we already blame Lance anyway.”  
  
“ME?!” Lance exclaimed in a dramatic display of betrayed disbelief, and Shiro couldn’t hold back a tiny bit of a laugh.  
  
“Yup, sorry Lance.” Pidge smirked. Lance pouted.  
  
“You know what, you guys are dead to me,” He declared, “I’m leaving and never coming back to you two.”  
  
“Leaving? And you’ll go where, exactly?” Keith asked, a look devoid of any amusement on his face. Lance turned towards him and frowned even more.  
  
“Okay dude, you really need to lighten up.” He told Keith, who in turn frowned at him, but it appeared to be a frown of confusion.  
  
“‘Lighten up’? I’m quite sure I’m light enough.” Keith said with a completely straight face, causing the rest, including Shiro himself, to stare at him. Lance face-palmed.  
  
“Okay…so, anyway,” Shiro began, not wanting to let the situation become any more awkward, “Keith, you said you wanted me to see something?”  
  
Keith blinked, clearly still confused for whatever reason, but seemed to recover soon enough. “That’s right, you wanted to know how I’d known to come save you.”  
  
Shiro nodded. Keith pushed himself off the wall, walking over to the massive sheet that covered the section of the middle wall. He tore it off, revealing a large corkboard, with several photos, sketches, graphs and charts, and maps pinned up on it in a seemingly disorderly fashion, with arrows drawn in different coloured ink connecting them, and scribbles of notes here and there. Shiro was caught off guard. He wasn’t expecting that, and apparently, neither were the rest, as he heard Pidge and Hunk let out gasps of awe, and Lance a gasp of perplexity. A clink of the lid of a can snapping off and the flapping of the sheet fluttering to the ground was all that was heard for a second.  
  
“What have you been working on…?” Shiro couldn’t help asking.  
  
“I told the other three last night, but I’ve been tracking space signals for a while.” Keith answered as he pointed to some of the charts pinned up on the side, “Not long ago, I’ve begun to pick up some strange signals involving what seems to be alien chatter. And there’s also this weird energy I’ve been feeling…”  
  
“Weird energy?” Pidge asked to clarify, to which Keith nodded.  
  
“Yeah, I can’t explain it really…” He admitted, “After I left the Garrison, I was kinda…lost. But there was this strange energy I felt, drawing me here. This…this energy…it seemed to be telling me to search for something, not sure what it was, but it was enough to get me to set things up around here.”  
  
“What did you need to look for?” Shiro asked.  
  
“Well, I didn’t know at the time, but after some exploring, I stumbled upon this area.” Keith put his hand on the main map, the center of the corkboard, where a circle of black marker highlighted a small area he had labeled ‘Energy Source’. “It’s an outcropping of giant boulders, with caves, covered in these ancient markings, each telling a slightly different story about a blue lion. The markings seemed to be leading up to some event, some ‘arrival’…then I began to receive some considerably stronger signals yesterday which I believe was what the markings were referring to…turns out that was you.”  
  
Shiro wasn’t sure how to process this information. So Keith sensed a weird energy source which led him to the barren desert, which was enough reason for him to stay and await an unknown arrival he couldn’t even guarantee was real, and yet, it was the reason Keith appeared out of nowhere to save him? It was…baffling, to say the least.  
  
“Were…were there any other signals?” Pidge asked, an edge of caution, but also hope (?), to his voice, picking at his own can of sardines carelessly with a plastic fork, “Like maybe the other crew members?”  
  
Unfortunately, Keith shook his head. “Shiro was the only one in that thing.”  
  
Shiro looked down, feeling guilty. “I’m not sure about my crew, I remember getting captured, but after that, it’s bits and pieces. I don’t even remember how I managed to escape.”  
  
He cast a sideways glance at Keith when he said so, but it appeared that his words had no visible effect on the young man. The same couldn’t be said for Pidge, who immediately looked downcast. To Shiro, he was sure that Pidge was closely connected to Sam and Matt somehow, especially considering Pidge strongly resembled Matt in appearance.  
  
“Um okay, but back to the aliens,” Hunk piped up after a sip of water from one of the bottles, looking extremely anxious, “but where are they now? Are they coming, coming for us? Like where are they at this very moment?”  
  
“I…I can’t really put it together.” Shiro confessed dejectedly, “I remember the word ‘Voltron’. It’s some kind of weapon they’re looking for, but I don’t know why. Whatever it is, I think we need to find it before they do.”  
  
“‘Voltron’ huh?” Pidge mumbled before looking up at Shiro again, “Keith and I have both been picking up the alien chatter, and we both heard about this ‘Voltron’ thing. If that’s the case, do you think it’s possible it might be on Earth?”  
  
“The possibility is high, but aside from the cave I found, I don’t see any other signs of it.” Keith informed, and Shiro was about to make a suggestion to analyze the data further, but Hunk beat him to it.  
  
“Well actually, last night, I sorta woke up and couldn’t sleep at some point, so I was rummaging through Pidge’s stuff, and…” He started to say, causing an enraged squawk from Pidge.  
  
“You went through my stuff?!” He exclaimed in fury, snatching the large backpack away from Hunk’s grasp, grumbling. Hunk gave a nervous laugh, to which caused Pidge to narrow his eyes further. Shiro placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose, unable to help feeling a hint of exasperation.  
  
“Okay, invasion of privacy aside, for now,” He said, adding the last part with a pointed glare directed at Hunk, “what does Pidge’s stuff have to do with this?”  
  
“Yeah, well, I was looking for a candy bar or something,” Hunk confessed sheepishly, “but I found his notes instead, and from what I could tell, the repeating series of numbers the aliens were searching for looks a lot like a Fraunhofer Line…”  
  
“Fraun…who…?” Keith asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
“It’s a number describing the emission spectrum of an element, only this element doesn’t exist on Earth.” Hunk explained, “I thought it might be this ‘Voltron’, so I made a chart of its wavelength, which roughly looks like this…”  
  
Hunk pulled out a piece of paper with a hand-drawn chart detailing the points of the wavelength he mentioned, resulting in Lance making a comment of him being a genius, which Shiro had to agree to. It was definitely impressive.  
  
Suddenly Keith snatched up the paper right out of Hunk’s hands, startling him.  
  
“Hey man what’s the big deal!?” Lance protested, but Keith seemed to have gotten lost in thought as he stared hard at the wavelength.  
  
“I’ve seen this pattern somewhere before…I…” Keith muttered to himself, ignoring Lance entirely, then cast a sideways glance to the corkboard, and began alternating his gaze between the paper and the board. He walked up to the board, placing Hunk’s diagram over the large photo of the rock outcropping, and to Shiro’s amazement, the pattern on the wavelength matched the outcropping formation exactly.  
  
“No way…” Hunk awed, as Keith lowered the paper, staring at the outcropping photo for a few seconds longer. He then returned the paper to Hunk, and once again, that brooding, lost-in-thought expression appeared on his face.  
  
“So they were searching for this, and it matches the data I have…if I could only pinpoint the location then…” Keith whispered to himself, just barely loudly enough for Shiro to hear. For some reason, it sounded suspicious. There was something off about the way Keith spoke, but Hunk once again prevented him from asking any questions.  
“If you want to try and pinpoint the location,” He told Keith, evidently having heard Keith as well, but apparently not sharing Shiro’s suspicions, “I think I might be able to build a machine to look for it, if my calculations are right at least.”  
  
“You could?!” Keith cried, his purple eyes suddenly wide and somewhat excited, showing the most emotion Shiro had seen from him so far. Immediately, Shiro felt the pieces of a flashback attempt to form, but they broke away before they even had a chance to get close. But it was something, and Shiro was even more sure that he’d known Keith previously, and had seen that expression before. However, the strange sense of unease around Keith was still there, and now Shiro had even more questions he wanted answered. Perfect.  
  
“Yeah I’m pretty sure I could,” Hunk confirmed, “and anyway, since the wavelength matches the outcropping you found, we already have a starting point. All I need to do is find out where the energy signal is the strongest.”  
  
“That’s…That’s great!” Keith exclaimed, but he seemed to realize the rest were looking at him strangely, so he cleared his throat, a really light pink blush on his cheeks.  
“I…I mean that’s great.” He said in a far more controlled voice, one that was almost monotone, “S-So when can you get it done?”  
  
Shiro felt both amused and perplexed at Keith’s reaction. On one hand, it was rather funny, considering how out of place it felt, since Keith hadn’t shown anything much more than a cold mask and a hint of sorrow earlier, as well as his ridiculously sad attempt to hide his excitement. On the other hand though, why would Keith be so excited about finding this ‘Voltron’ anyway?  
  
“Heh, so you have a kiddie side to you after all huh?” Lance teased Keith, who blushed even more.  
  
“Shut up Lance.” He snapped, though his voice lacked the edge it usually seemed to have. Keith was genuinely embarrassed, wasn’t he? Shiro couldn’t hold back a snort, in spite of himself. Neither could Pidge, which made Keith turn away entirely.  
  
“I can probably get it done by tomorrow,” Hunk assured him, probably taking pity on him before Lance could do any more damage, “if you could let me use some of your tools and machines, since you already have a scanner type device here. Otherwise I’d have to build it from scratch, which would take a lot longer.”  
  
Keith was silent for a few seconds, but soon gave a quick nod of acknowledgement.  
  
“Sure, but just don’t take it apart completely, if you can help it.” He said. Hunk shrugged.  
  
“I can’t promise anything.”  
  
They quickly finished up the last of their makeshift breakfast after that, Hunk wanting to start as quickly as he could, and Pidge seemed pretty interested as well. Shiro offered to help with the clean up, but Keith ended up practically ordering him to rest (which caused yet another memory flash he couldn’t grasp), dragging Lance to help out instead, with Lance protesting the whole way. The drastic shift in atmosphere was actually quite comical.  
  
All in all, at least Shiro wouldn’t get bored.  
  
When it was around mid-day, with Hunk and Pidge working on the machine while dragging Lance into helping against his will, Keith declared he would be going to get some more food, as they would be running out soon. Of course, that brought up a significant problem.  
  
“Where are you even getting the rations from?” Shiro asked.  
  
“The Garrison.” Keith deadpanned. Shiro stared at him.  
  
“You mean to tell me you’ve been stealing food from the Garrison base?” He questioned.  
  
“I don’t think it counts as stealing if someone gives the things to you willingly.” Keith countered.  
  
“You have someone helping you on the inside?”  
  
“Something like that.”  
  
“So someone knows you’ve been out here in the desert all this time?”  
  
“…….No.”  
  
That stumped Shiro. “What do you mean ‘No’?”  
  
“No, they don’t know I’m out here.” Keith clarified in the most unhelpful way possible, “Listen, there’s a lot to explain, but if I don’t hurry I’ll miss the chance and someone will have to go without eating tomorrow.”  
  
With that, he hopped aboard his hovercraft, which Shiro still had a hard time believing was the same craft that carried all of them a significant distance across the desert in the night, taking off without another word.  
  
Another flash. No doubt about it. Shiro definitely knew Keith from somewhere, but where? Who was he? The answers didn’t come easily, especially when Keith seemed to be unwilling to talk about it for whatever reason. Shiro guessed that it was due to him forgetting Keith in the first place, but even then, something still felt off. He wanted to know…he needed to know.  
  
“Hey Shiro, can I talk to you for a moment?” Someone said from behind him. Shiro turned around, and luckily, was a lot less jumpy than he’d been that morning with Keith. It was Lance.  
  
“Sure, what is it?” He asked, and Lance frowned.  
  
“I wanted to ask you about Keith,” He said with a tinge of nervousness, “he told us you two used to know each other back at the Garrison? I…I wanted to know what he’s like.”  
  
Shiro recognized the tone of Lance’s voice immediately.  
  
“You don’t trust Keith, do you?” He asked, and Lance flinched. Looks like Shiro had hit the nail on the head.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Lance apologized, “I know you guys are old friends or something, but I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s just me not paying attention, but I never heard of a Keith person at the Garrison. Hunk did, but that Keith went home only about a few months ago. So I…”  
  
“So you wanted to know if his story is true.” Shiro finished for him. Lance frowned, but he nodded affirmatively. Unfortunately for him, Shiro didn’t have the answers he wanted. He wished he did.  
  
“You don’t have to apologize, I understand your concerns.” He told Lance, “But I’m afraid I can’t tell you what you want to know. I…can’t remember anything about Keith.”  
  
“Wait what? So Keith is just as much a stranger to you as he is to us?” Lance stressed.  
  
“I feel like I definitely know him from somewhere,” Shiro clarified, “like, I keep getting broken flashes when I look at him, and he seems really familiar somehow, but I don’t know who he actually is, and he’s been avoiding giving me answers when I tried to approach the subject earlier.”  
  
Lance stared at Shiro, seemingly at a loss for words. He probably was hoping for more, and Shiro couldn’t blame him. After all, it was frustrating, not knowing what you wanted to know.  
  
“Lance, if I do remember something, I’ll let you know,” Shiro assured, “as long as it’s not a private matter. Believe me, I want to know about Keith as much as you do, and I don’t want to think I can’t trust someone who possibly saved my life last night.”  
  
“Yeah me neither…” Lance sighed, “I don’t know, I want to think he’s okay, but something feels…off…about him, but I’m not sure what it is.”  
  
“You’re not the only one feeling that way,” Shiro confided, “I do know him, somehow, somewhere…but I can’t help feeling a little nervous around him. I don’t know if that’s the amnesia talking, or…something else entirely.”  
  
Lance met Shiro’s gaze, giving him an apologetic look.  
  
“I see.” He said, “Well, thanks anyway. And…if you need to talk to anyone about this…I’m all ears.”  
Shiro smiled. “Thanks Lance.”  
  
Lance shrugged casually in acknowledgement. He then headed back inside the shack, probably to continue helping Hunk and Pidge. Shiro had a good feeling about him, he seemed to be a good kid. Talking with him, despite the rather solemn topic, had been somehow refreshing. However, the conversation also struck a nerve, oddly enough.  
Shiro found that he wasn’t too pleased at the idea that Lance didn’t trust Keith, regardless of his own confusion towards the mysterious young man. He wasn’t upset about it, not exactly, but there was something nagging at him at the back of his mind. Something that told him that Keith deserved to be trusted, but why? He didn’t know. Shiro cursed his broken memories, hating how it was sending him into such a dilemma.  
  
The worst part of it? It was that he knew whatever was going to happen next was just the beginning of his troubles.  
  
Keith returned just as the sun began to set, which was quite late given the time of year. He carried a Garrison backpack, filled with more cans of food, and a few bags of fruit and smoked meats. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to last a few days at least. Of course, Shiro suspected that meant Keith would need to make another trip soon, but chose not to question it for now.  
  
Shiro decided he would keep an eye on Keith, make sure he knew what he was up to, and hopefully, convince him to give him some answers about what else he knew.  
The rest of the night went by uneventfully. They had a small dinner of more canned food and fruit, and Hunk went straight back to working on the machine, once again dragging an unwilling Lance along. Pidge had pulled Keith into a discussion about the space signals they received, and Shiro sat outside on the porch, looking at the stars. He sat there for a long time, hardly caring about the time that passed, until it was really late, and Keith finally came out to speak with him, long after the rest had turned in for the night.  
  
“Hey.” Keith started, taking a seat next to him.  
  
“Hey.” Shiro replied, turning to face him, only to meet concerned purple eyes. “You’re not gonna go to sleep yet?”  
  
“No, I normally just sit out here for a bit.” Keith told them, directing his gaze to the stars above, Shiro following suit, “You can always see so much from here.”  
  
“Yeah…but there’s a lot more out there than what we can see…” Shiro added, thinking of his capture.  
  
Keith didn’t respond to that for a few minutes. Shiro was afraid he may have said something wrong, but that didn’t seem to be the case.  
  
“You know, you were the reason I began watching the stars.” Keith confessed, causing Shiro to once again turn towards him, surprised at his words. Keith didn’t return the gaze, eyes still focusing on the skies above, a look of longing and maybe sorrow across his face.  
  
“Before,” Keith continued, “I never really bothered to look at them. To me, there wasn’t anything really significant to them. But after meeting you, you started talking about them, telling me how much you liked them, and the idea of space, and finding out what was out there. I guess I began watching them after that, trying to see what you saw in them. When you left, I guess…I started watching them to remind myself you were still out there somewhere.”  
  
Shiro couldn’t form words. He stared at Keith, speechless.  
  
“I know you don’t remember anything about me,” Keith carried on, giving no indication that he had noticed Shiro’s stunned state, “but I hope you will eventually. There’s…a lot of things I’d like to talk to you about.”  
  
“……..I…I hope so too.” Shiro eventually offered, “But why not talk about it now? Why not remind me yourself?”  
  
A solemn smile appeared on Keith’s face.  
  
“I wish I could Shiro,” He admitted, “but it’s not that simple. Besides, I’m…I’m sure there were things you wouldn’t want to remember. If I happen to be one of those things…I can live with that.”  
  
“What…What are you saying?” Shiro was completely baffled now, “Why would you be something I wouldn’t want to…”  
  
He trailed off for some reason, no longer able to find it in himself to continue speaking, to finish that sentence. Keith didn’t seem to mind, that solemn smile unwavering, providing no clues to whatever message it was Keith wanted to convey. Shiro wanted to say more, to ask him exactly what he meant, but that nagging feeling of unease he felt pushed his words back, rendering him voiceless.  
  
Keith stood up after a while, still staring at the skies.  
  
“It’s really getting late Shiro, you should come in soon. It’s gets pretty cold out here.” He suggested, but otherwise made no move to urge Shiro indoors. He didn’t even wait for Shiro’s reply, and only walked back into the shack himself, leaving the confused man out on the porch, but leaving the door open behind him.  
Shiro sat there, more lost than ever.  
  
“Keith, just who are you?”


	2. The Blue Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance gets the Blue Lion and the team meets the Alteans. Still following canon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you so much for the positive responses for chapter one! Seeing the comments and kudos were wonderful, so thank you!!! (Again.)
> 
> Okay, part two is up, and Lance is our star. I like Lance, he's funny and quirky, but more importantly, he's a great character. I honestly think he hasn't been well-defined in the show just yet, so I had to add in stuff on my own. Regarding Lance, I have quite a few plans for him, and probably not anything anyone would expect. Hope any Lance-fans out there look forward to it! I have to admit it is still rather boring, kinda, but I promise there's a reason for these chapters.
> 
> By the way, a friend of mine, SLMHorses (https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLMHorses/pseuds/SLMHorses), suggested I get a beta-reader for my work, so I would like to ask you guys for help. A beta reader would be extremely helpful, because I am pretty bad at editing (I either don't edit enough or destroy the whole thing, which I did for chapter 3 btw), and you'll get to read chapters before most people. (XD) If you're interested, please have a look at the end notes! Thank you in advance!
> 
> EDIT (4th Oct 2016) : I have found a beta reader for now! Note, chapter 3 is not beta read, that will start from chapter 4. Thank you!

Lance yawned when he awoke the next day to sunlight streaming into the empty wooden room that he’d had to call home for the past two nights. There was a slight pain in his chest, but nothing he wasn’t already used to. In his sleepy state, he was barely able to make out Pidge tapping away at his laptop already, all his equipment set up, while Hunk seemed to be folding up the old blanket Keith had left for them the previous night.

Right…the blanket thing.

Lance wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He still didn’t trust Keith, and he was even more unsure about the guy after his conversation with Shiro yesterday, but at the same time, Keith didn’t seem to be a completely bad guy.

Ugh, this was hurting his head. He decided to keep his inner conflicts to himself, and hopefully, the answers would come to him, somehow, eventually. He’d always been the “go-with-the-flow” type of guy anyway.

“Oh, morning Lance.” Hunk greeted after he was done patting down the blanket. Pidge looked up at from the laptop.

“Oh morning.” He offered as well.

“Morning guys.” Lance returned, “So what’s on the agenda today?”

“Well, I’m almost done with the machine,” Hunk informed, holding up a small box with a mini satellite disk attached to it via a long black cord, “all we need to do is make a few more modifications with the calibrations and we can give it a quick test run.”

“Great, then we can go find aliens soon I guess?” Lance couldn’t resist teasing, feeling slightly amused at Hunk’s nervous reaction (but he made sure not to go overboard with it, hey, he wasn’t that much of a jerk).

“Lance, stop trying to freak him out,” Pidge scolded, earning a lazy salute of acknowledgement from Lance and a nod of thanks from Hunk. He continued tapping at his laptop, no doubt trying to help Hunk figure out the technical stuff for the machine (it was either that or he was searching for more alien signals). Lance yawned again.

“Anyway, Keith and Shiro are already awake. You two should go get something to eat first.” Pidge suggested, still not looking up from the screen.

“You’re not eating Pidge?” Hunk asked with a slight hint of concern.

“I’ll be there in a bit, I’m almost done figuring this out, could you hand me the device Hunk?” Pidge responded, and Hunk complied, leaning in to look at the screen as well as he did so.

The two began to discuss things Lance didn’t quite understand. He was never really good with the technical and engineering stuff, though not from a lack of trying honestly. Lance did actually try to pay attention to the theory of things back in at the Garrison, but he just didn’t have the right interests, so everything just registered as “not important” and he ended up focusing on all aspects of being a pilot instead, something he was actually good at. He didn’t mind though, Hunk and Pidge were great at their respective fields, which was why the three of them were put into a team in the first place.

Lanced decided it would be best for him to get out of their way for a bit, they would be better off without any potential distractions. So, after promising Hunk he’d help save his share, Lance left their tiny, temporary bedroom.

“Oh, good morning Lance,” Shiro greeted from where he sat on the couch the instant Lance appeared at the doorway, “how did you sleep?”

“Ugh, a little stiff, but it was okay. You?” Lance asked in return.

“I’m fine, I turned in a little late, but nothing I’m not used to.” Shiro assured with a shrug, then looked back down to the ‘living room’ table, sorting out portions of the canned food. Lance smiled at him a little, then glanced around, noticing that a certain Mullet-Head wasn’t present.

“Hey where’s Keith?” He asked, and instantly, Lance saw Shiro’s shoulders stiffen just a little bit.

“He went to get some water from the out back.” Shiro answered, looking back up and visibly trying to pretend he wasn’t bothered at all, “Apparently there’s a small oasis nearby.”

“Huh, is that so?” Lance asked nonchalantly. Shiro shrugged again, returning to sorting out the cans. Lance walked over and sat down next to him, picking up a few cans and reading the labels, mostly because he felt like he needed something to do with his hands. He glanced at Shiro again, as subtly as he could manage, and Shiro seemed to be okay other than the slight tension about him. The two continued messing with the cans, and the occasional fruit and bag of smoked ham or whatever, without another word.

Talk about awkward…

After a few minutes, Lance couldn’t take it any longer. He turned to Shiro.

“Shiro did something happen with Keith last night?” Lance asked. Shiro immediately dropped the can he was holding, letting it fall onto the table and rolling straight off.

“Whoops, sorry to startle you.” Lance apologized, but Shiro shook his head.

“No, it’s fine.” He told him, “You’re right though. I had a talk with Keith last night.”

“Oh, so, how’d it go…?” Lance asked, this time with an edge of caution. Shiro didn’t meet his gaze, which told Lance plenty already. But he still wanted to know the full story, so he waited for Shiro to tell him, assuming he would. And luckily for Lance, he did.

Shiro told Lance the details of the previous night, about how he and Keith talked about watching the stars, about how Keith wanted him to talk about things, but refused to tell him about their shared past himself because he believed he belonged to a part of Shiro’s past that Shiro wanted to forget. It confused Lance, and he could clearly see Shiro couldn’t understand it either.

“So, what,” Lance asked for confirmation, hopefully with enough tact to not push Shiro out of his comfort zone, “he just says stuff like he wants to talk to you but at the same time thinks he’s better off forgotten? That’s kinda weird Shiro.”

“I…I suppose it is…” Shiro seemed to force himself to admit, which Lance himself had to admit feeling guilty for, “But I still think it’s too early for me to come to a conclusion about him, because I do know I’ve met him somewhere before somehow.”

“Are you guys talking about Keith?” Pidge’s voice asked suddenly, startling both Lance and Shiro to a certain degree. Both of them looked up and saw Pidge and Hunk standing there, both of them looking somewhat unsure and careful.

“Um…yeah, we were.” Shiro confirmed, his voice wavering. Pidge frowned.

“So you don’t really remember Keith either?” He asked. Shiro could only solemnly nod at this point. Lance panicked just a little bit, not wanting to push Shiro too much, and he frantically began to signal to Pidge to stop talking about it. The dramatic display of him running a finger along his neck seemed to do the trick best.

“I…I see.” Pidge said with a raised eyebrow, shooting Lance a quick look that clearly said he wanted an explanation later, “Well then you’re in the same boat as us I guess?”

“I guess so…?” Shiro replied, glancing over at Lance, who did his best to cover up his frantic signaling with a light-hearted whistle (as if he couldn’t get any more cliché there).

“Well the good news is Pidge and I finally finished the Voltron tracking device.” Hunk cut in, holding out the box and disk with a proud look on his face, “So we can start testing it as soon as Keith gets back from…”

“Already here.” The deadpanned voice of Keith called as the door to the shack was thrown open and Keith was carrying more of those tiny bottles he had yesterday, once again filled with fresh drinking water. Everyone else in the room got tense, not surprising, as the whole conversation had been about Lance’s trust issues with the Mullet-Head to begin with.

Keith must have noticed the tension, because he scowled more than usual and dumped the bottles of water on the table and folded his arms over his chest, sending a glare at the group, a dead giveaway to the fact that he obviously heard _some_ of what they’d been saying. However, he seemed to think it was a better idea to brush it off.

“Hunk, how’s the device coming along?” He asked, an edge to his voice that wasn’t there before. Oh great, he was mad.

“Er, we’re technically done with it?” Hunk informed, somehow shrinking under the intense glare, his answer coming out sounding more like a question. To Lance’s surprise however, Keith seemed to notice he was intimidating Hunk, and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down.

“Sorry, I ran into a bit of an annoyance just now.” He told them, though Lance was 99.9% sure that was nothing more than a convenient excuse, “So could we go searching for Voltron soon?”

“Well, theoretically yes,” Hunk confirmed, “but we haven’t tested it out yet, so I can’t confirm that it’s entirely accurate.”

“I see.” Keith replied, “Well, we have a starting location at least. If it can at least track the signal’s main source, we can search on foot from there.”

“W-Well, that sounds like a plan,” Shiro declared with mock confidence, but Lance was sure everyone noticed the fact that his voice shook for a moment there, “Anyway, we should hurry and eat up so we can start the search as soon as possible.”

“Y-Yeah, sure…” Pidge agreed, “C-Can someone pass the can opener?”

“Oh, here.” Hunk quickly passed the tool over.

Meanwhile, Keith made absolutely no move to sit down and eat with them.

“Dude, aren’t you gonna eat?” Lance tried asking, and he couldn’t resist feeling a cold shiver when Keith turn to look at him. Lance’s focus immediately landed on Keith’s eyes, those intense purple eyes which seemed to hold so many secrets, eyes that made Lance feel as if he was being threatened.

Then, almost as quickly as they made eye contact, Keith looked away. He shook his head. “I already ate. If you need me I’ll be outside.”

With that, Keith hurried out the door, and awkward silence befell the room once more.

Lance was suddenly getting the feeling that they should back out while they could. Maybe taking their chances back at the Garrison would be better than accompanying some stranger on what could turn out to either be a wild goose chase or a dangerous encounter with evil aliens. While Lance couldn’t deny he wanted to know what was going on out there, especially with what happened to Shiro, he was beginning to wonder if it was worth it.

To Lance, it wasn’t exactly Keith’s fault he was feeling this was, but at the same time it was. That sense of unease he felt around Keith was unlike anything he’s ever felt before. Also, Keith was this crazy guy who pretty much succeeded in a solo rescue and escape mission against several armed Garrison officials in the middle of the night without any hint of fear, even with Lance and his buddies showing up and almost being a liability.

Yes, Lance hated to admit it, but deep down, he knew it was true. This Keith guy, he definitely seemed like he could easily have completed that rescue on his own, even if Lance and crew hadn’t barged in. He probably could handle whatever was coming for them no problem.

 _‘But what about me?’_ Lance found himself thinking. After all, he was a cargo pilot, transferred to fighter class only because one of the previous cadets from the class had to leave due to a family issue a while back. Could he really handle what was out there, when he already crashed what were just simulations multiple times already?

But then again, what real choice did they have now? The Garrison must have confirmed their involvement with the Shiro-rescue by now, and their names were probably already taken out of the system. They couldn’t go back there, unless they wanted to all be captured and interrogated while Shiro landed on another examination table. There was else nothing they could do but move forward from where they were now.

“Lance?” Pidge’s voice broke his train of rather depressing thoughts, which he suddenly realized were really out of character for him, and Lance quickly noticed that the rest were staring at him, “Are you okay?”

“M-Me?” Lance piped in response, internally wincing at the mild stutter, “I’m fine, it takes a lot more than the grumpy mullet head to faze me.”

Best to just play it off as usual.

“If you say so…” Pidge said, though from the way he was eyeing Lance suspiciously, he couldn’t probably tell already. Hunk probably could to. They were a lot smarter than they gave themselves credit for (Hunk especially), and they’d been a team long enough to have picked up one another’s quirks.

“…Look guys,” Shiro suddenly spoke up, “I would like to ask if you guys are really up for this, because there’s a chance this could turn out to be pretty serious. These…These aliens I was captured by, they’re not something to be taken on lightly. They’re extremely dangerous, and while I don’t mean to say you aren’t capable cadets, I’m worried about the fact that you all haven’t even finished your training yet.”

“Shiro,” Pidge was the one who responded first, “I’m grateful for the concern, but for me, this is something I wanna do. I…I have my reasons.”

“You’re sure?” Shiro asked again, and Pidge gave a firm nod, one that left no room for arguments, even for a senior officer like Shiro, who sighed and turned to Hunk and Lance.

“And you two?”

“I…I have to admit I’m not quite sure,” Hunk replied next, “but there is something going on right? I want to find out what it is, at the very least. I was unsure about it before, but now, I don’t think I can go back to the Garrison without answers.”

“We might not even be able to go back to the Garrison anyway,” Lance interjected, in spite of himself, “look guys, if they didn’t know before, I’m sure they figured out we were involved by now. We’re probably the only ones who weren’t back at the barracks since the crash, they had to have made the connection by now.”

“Oh…right…” Hunk deflated.

“I…I’m sorry I…” Shiro started to say, but Lance quickly cut him off.

“Shiro, I’m not saying it’s your fault, we were there because we willingly went there in the first place. If Keith hadn’t allowed us to come along with him, the Garrison would’ve caught us anyway.” He concluded, “So I say whatever’s up ahead, we push through it. It’s the only thing we can do now.”

Pidge and Hunk stared at him with incredulous expressions on their faces, which somewhat offended Lance slightly, but that was pushed down when he noticed Shiro giving him a impressed look. It made Lance feel just a bit better about what he was thinking of earlier. Just a bit.

“All right then. We’ll give it our best shot as a team.” Shiro stated firmly, receiving three nods of agreement in return. Lance still had his doubts, but maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for everything to turn out okay after all.

After breakfast and clean up, everyone gathered outside, where Keith waited for them, leaning against his hovercraft. He had a red cloth covering half his face, which Lance recognized as the scarf he always seemed to wear around his neck.

So, naturally, Lance had to ask. “What’s with the mask thing?”

Keith narrowed his eyes, but didn’t exactly glare, so that wasn’t as bad as before. He didn’t seem mad anymore, which was good. Lance wasn’t sure how much grumpiness he could handle from the guy, especially when he was freakishly intense already.

“It’s windy, and I don’t like getting dust in face when I ride.” Keith answered, climbing aboard the craft and pulling on a pair of dark goggles over his eyes.

“Couldn’t you get, like, a helmet?” Lance inquired, though his words came out a little more sarcastic than he intended it to be, “I don’t know, it would probably be a little easier to deal with?”

“I just don’t like helmets Lance.” Keith replied in literally the most straightforward way Lance ever heard anyone talk. He decided it would simply be counterproductive to continue the conversation, so he just let it drop, climbing onto the craft, still somewhat amazed the vehicle was able to carry all of them. Hunk sat directly behind Keith this time, probably so he could avoid having to hang on too tightly and try using the tracker at the same time, while Pidge sat on the tail instead, mini satellite disk in hand. Lance and Shiro both each hung on from either side of the craft, letting the two propeller-thingies support their weight.

“Everyone all secure?” Keith asked.

“We’re fine Keith, let’s go.” Shiro confirmed, and no one objected. Keith nodded.

“All right then, better hold on tight.”

They sped off, though not as quickly as that night, since they weren’t being chased again, thank goodness for that. Keith had been right, it was pretty windy out, and dust was pretty much flying everywhere, forcing Lance to squeeze his eyes shut and lean closer to the main body of the craft to secure himself.

Still, Lance had to admit he liked the feeling of speeding through the desert, even if he couldn’t see the surroundings. It gave him that feeling of exhilaration he always felt when he was behind the controls in the flight simulations, only this was far more real, and it made him think of why he wanted to become a pilot in the first place. For a while, he had thought it would be next to impossible for him, but after his family encouraged and supported him as he got into the Galaxy Garrison, he saw the possibility of his dream beginning to become a reality. Lance wondered how it would feel when he got the chance to be the one piloting a craft one day. Maybe the chances were slim now, but he could still imagine that it would be absolutely epic.

Sadly, the feeling couldn’t last long, as they rode through the desert for only a short amount of time. It seemed like only seconds had passed when the craft slowed to a stop.

“Here we are.” Keith said as the hovercraft finally stilled. Lance jumped off and looked around, noting that the surrounding area was simply a barren wasteland with nothing but random rock formations everywhere. Apparently, this was the exact rock outcropping Keith previously visited, the one that matched the photo he had pinned up on his board back at the shack. Hunk hopped off the craft and let his little machine do this work, staring intently at the screen with Pidge still held onto the satellite disk.

“So which way Hunk?” Keith asked, turning to the big guy and removing his goggles, hanging them on the handle of the craft. Hunk took a few steps to the left, then the right, then back, testing the signal, before he finally looked up and pointed to a path northwest from their position.

“The signal is already pretty strong, and from the readings I’m getting, the source should be that way.” He announced.

“Great. Lead the way.” Keith said in a considerably more casual tone, though Lance thought he heard a slightly commanding edge to his words. He frowned to himself, silently hoping he was just over-thinking it.

Hunk walked forward, Pidge and Shiro at his side. Pidge to make sure the signal was properly received, and Shiro to make sure Hunk didn’t walk into any rock walls or trip over stuff while he had his eyes glued onto the device’s screen. That meant Lance was stuck trailing behind, alongside Keith. Fantastic.

No one really said anything as Hunk led the way. Lance guessed it was due to the slight fear of not knowing what was waiting for them up ahead, because that was definitely his reason for not feeling up to the chit-chat. Of course, there was also the fact that all the people he was actually comfortable with were in the front taking care of tracking the signal, leaving him with the one person who gave him the warning vibes, but that was beside the point.

Lance risked a few glances at Keith, who appeared to be ignoring him entirely, despite them walking at the same pace. He seemed to walk rather stiffly, compared to Lance at least, and he had an air of something Lance couldn’t really place about him. He looked back at the group in front, just in time to see Shiro pull Hunk back to prevent the big guy from hitting a bit of rock jutting out the side of one of the walls. Lance couldn’t help a small grin of amusement.

“What are you so happy about?” Keith suddenly asked, making Lance’s head snap to face him at the unexpected attempt at conversation. Keith had the usual poker-face on, but nothing seemed to be hostile there, so Lance internally calmed himself down a bit to reply.

“Oh, nothing much,” He provided, albeit pretty lamely, “just happy to see Hunk having fun with his toy.”

“I wouldn’t call that a toy…” Keith said, giving Lance what appeared to be a look of slight confusion. Lance mentally face-palmed.

“Dude, it’s just an expression, you don’t have to take things so literally.” He told Keith, who blinked at that.

“Oh.” Was all he had to offer before they once again fell into silence, only now it felt ten times as awkward. Ugh. Seriously, the Mullet-Head needed some extreme socializing classes.

“Lance! Keith! I think we got it!” Hunk called at last, unknowingly freeing Lance from his predicament. He and Keith jogged a little to catch up with the rest, who stood over the edge of what seemed to be a crater-like hole in the ground, a small cave opening at the base.

“Looks like we found it.” Shiro stated, “But how are we going to get down there?”

“Hmm, we could try and climb down the sides. Doesn’t look too far down.” Lance suggested. Shiro seemed to consider this, as he went closer to the edge to examine the sides of the crater.

“Well we could climb down, but it’s high enough to cause severe injuries if we aren’t careful. I don’t think we should risk it.” He concluded, and Lance felt a bit of dejection that his suggestion was shot down, but didn’t really dwell on it.

“Actually, I think Lance might have the right idea.” Keith, to Lance’s utter bewilderment, seemed to come to his defence, pointing to the side of the crater that met the natural rocky walls, “There are a bunch of boulders here piled together. We could head down there using those like a makeshift staircase.”

“Well then, let’s go! Told you we could climb down.” Lance walked forward enthusiastically before anyone could make any further comments. He looked over where Keith had pointed, and sure enough, there was a stack of rocks that provided just enough foot space here and there for them to use as stepping stones to the ground.

A small feeling of frustration did claw at him though. Despite it being him to have suggested climbing down, he didn’t really check to see if it were actually possible. His ‘suggestion’ was really no more than a half-baked guess, and even though it did work out, as petty as it was, Lance couldn’t stop himself from feeling a little annoyed that Keith was the only reason they did it. It was probably extremely childish of him, but he felt that way all the same.

Lance shook his head. It wasn’t the time to be thinking such self-depreciating thoughts. He was going to do this wasn’t he? Best see it through. He slowly made his way down the rocks, taking notes of where the rocks were slightly loose and passing the message to the next person moving down.

Soon enough, Lance’s feet found solid ground. He took a deep breath as Keith landed next to him (almost effortlessly, much to Lance’s _SLIGHT_ irritation), and Shiro was halfway down. Hunk waited until Shiro reached the ground before he began to make his way down as well, and Lance easily saw the big guy was nervous, despite the distance being rather short.

“Come on you can do it Hunk!” Lance encouraged, and Hunk yelled out a small thanks as he continued to slowly inch towards the bottom. For a moment there, it seemed almost as if he would step on a loose piece, but Lance managed to warn him in time and Hunk soon made it down safely.

“Whew, thanks for the warning there Lance,” Hunk said, relieved, “But next time, we really need to bring a rope.”

“I’ll put it on the to-do list.” Lance jokingly assured, earning a smile from the big guy. They then turned their attention back upwards, where Pidge was watching them from above.

“Hunk could you catch my backpack?” He called down, “I don’t think it’s safe for me to be carrying heavy equipment while climbing down this thing!”

“Oh sure thing! Toss it down!” Hunk called back, and Pidge did just that. Of course, Hunk caught the thing no problem, and thanks to his stronger and wider build, he hardly even stumbled when the bag collided with his arms. Pidge then proceeded to essentially hop down the whole thing, hardly caring about being cautious.

“Pidge be careful!” Shiro warned, “You might slip if you don’t watch your step!”

“I know Shiro!” Pidge yelled back, “Don’t worry I’m being careful I promise!”

He landed squarely on his feet, probably with the fastest time out of all of them.

“Wow, impressive.” Keith commented, and Pidge just flashed him a quick grin of triumph as he took his backpack back from Hunk. Shiro put a hand to his head.

“Don’t encourage this Keith,” He half-pleaded, “And Pidge, this isn’t a race you know. You could have missed your footing there.”

“I appreciate the concern Shiro, but like I said, I was being careful, honest. I’m just a little used to jumping around on rocks already.”

“Why?” Hunk asked with a weird face, which honestly kinda mirrored Lance’s own. But Pidge only shrugged and said it was a family thing, and Shiro didn’t seem to want to argue further. Keith, of course, remained stoic the whole time.

“Oh well, let’s head inside.” Lance opted, turning to the cave. The group followed suit, and were immediately greeted with the sight of a long tunnel, the walls all decorated with different sorts of markings, patterns, and unreadable texts. Lance couldn’t hold back a gasp of wonder as he stepped inside and walked a little way in. Pidge and Hunk seemed to share the sentiment, letting out similar gasps as well.

“What are these?” Shiro asked, his voice also filled with awe and amazement.

“These are the lion carvings I was telling you about. They’re everywhere around here.” Keith answered, but didn’t provide any further explanation.

Without warning, Lance felt a strange but warm surge of energy wash through him. A pull at his gut, a call to his mind. What the…?

He found himself drawn further in, towards a specific marking on the wall a few steps forward. He went up and looked closer, noticing a thin layer of dust over it. Without thinking, he reached out a hand and brushed it away, wanting to know what it was hidden beneath that was calling out to him. A partial image of what seemed to be a robotic head seemed to show, but that was all Lance managed to see before the markings all instantaneously lit up all throughout the cave, alarming everyone.

“They’ve never done that before.” Keith said quickly with a nervous tone, but Lance didn’t have time to think about why before the ground under their feet shook and lit up like the markings. A split second later, it gave way under them.

Lance’s only thought that very moment?

**_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_ **

In his panic, Lance only vaguely processed that he and everyone else were sent screaming down a dark tunnel filled with water. He literally just couldn’t think, only scream, as they plunged into the pit below.

Fortunately, it didn’t last very long. They shot out of the end of the tunnel, a few feet off the ground, and each of them fell hard onto a solid rock floor which had water pooling around them, every one of them groaning and grunting as they landed. Lance immediately felt a sharp, tightening pain in his chest upon impact, and shook his head as he slowly pulled himself to a kneeling position, but the pain was almost instantly forgotten when he opened his eyes and looked up.

What he saw, was definitely nothing he ever expected.

A massive blue and white robotic lion sat there, encased in an equally massive, glowing blue hive-like dome made up of pure energy. Lance’s eyes widened, his heart racing as he gaze upon the lion in all its glory.

“They are everywhere…” He found himself muttering as he slowly got to his feet, a hand over his bruised chest and eyes never leaving the lion for a second. In fact, Lance could’ve sworn he didn’t blink in those few moments.

“Is this it…?” Pidge vocalized what was on everybody’s minds, “Is this the Voltron…?”

“It…must be…” Shiro offered, slightly unsure.

“This is what’s been causing all this crazy energy out here…” Keith finished, and was the first to snap out of the daze and begin to walk towards the lion, seemingly unfazed.

“Looks like there’s a force field around it.” He pointed out, referring to the blue dome. But Lance had other concerns. As he walked closer, he felt like he was being watched by the thing, and that weird sensation he felt earlier with the markings returned in his chest.

“Does anyone else get the feeling this thing is staring at them?” Lance blurted out, basically putting how he felt in the simplest way humanly possible. He swayed a little as he walked, trying to check if it really was the lion watching him.

“Yeah…the eyes are totally following me.” He emphasised, choosing to ignore Shiro’s half-hearted ‘no’, continuing to shift his body left and right to test out his little theory. Strangely enough, he didn’t feel creeped out, but just…confused? He wasn’t sure. But he was fairly certain the lion’s gaze was on him, and him specifically.

Keith reached the force field first, examining the lion for a moment before he began to poke at the surface of the field, the energy rippling as he did so. “I wonder how we get through this…”

“Maybe you just have to knock?” Lance said, mostly as a joke. Another one of his half-baked joke suggestions, but he went right up to the field and did it anyway, not expecting anything to happen really.

Well, what’d’ya know? It worked.

The force field glowed and swiftly disappeared, startling Lance and sending Pidge and Hunk into a state of mild panic (one was milder than the other, take your guess who that was). However, as it did so, Lance felt it once more, that warm energy, that calling, the pull to go closer…then a flash.

It was like watching a video in your mind, but ten times more exciting. Lance saw five brilliantly coloured lights shoot up at the sky, circling around one another until they combined, and there, a giant robot wielding a flaming sword appeared amongst the stars…and it was over.

“Woah…” was the only thing Lance could think of to say. “…Er…did everyone just see that…?”

“Voltron is a robot!” Hunk exclaimed, putting it into words, sounding almost ready to cry, “Voltron is a huge, huge awesome robot!!”

“And this thing is only one part of it!” Pidge added, “I wonder where the rest of them are?”

“This is what they’re looking for…” Shiro said offhandedly.

“Incredible…” Keith muttered, the awe in his voice clear as day.

Then, the robot lion began to move, standing up on all fours, lowering its head to them. This did cause some more panic on Hunk and Pidge’s part, but for Lance? He couldn’t explain it, but he felt ready for it. Ready to accept whatever was coming, whatever the lion wanted to offer. So when the lion opened its mouth to reveal a ramp leading inside, Lance hardly hesitated to step inside.

He quickly came up to a large walk-in compartment, with what was obviously a pilot’s seat waiting for him there. Giving it a quick check, Lance sat down on it, finding it a lot more comfortable than he expected it to be. The seat then shot forward, taking him to the front of the compartment, where a series of screens made of the same blue energy as the force field appeared before his eyes.

Lance couldn’t believe this. The lion was a space ship, and he was sitting in the cockpit.

The rest came up behind him, matching gasps of awe sounding all around once more. That is, before Hunk spoke up.

“O-Okay guys,” He stammered, “I feel the need to point out, just so we are all, you know, aware, we are in some kind of futuristic, alien, cat head right now.”

Lance was about the retort, wanting to tell Hunk to chill out, but he didn’t get the chance. An unusual ringing in his ear distracted him from the task, transforming into what sounded like a gentle purr, and Lance instantly felt as though he was being asked to start the lion robot up.

Sure, he was feeling weirded out, but it wasn’t as if he was feeling controlled or anything. Lance wasn’t sure why, but whatever it was, and it was probably the lion itself, he felt like he could trust it, that it wasn’t out to hurt him or anyone else. Lance decided to give it a shot, leaning in to the controls, examining it.

“Lance…?” Pidge started to say, but Lance had already figured it out. All he had to do was hit this…and hit that…and…!!!

The lion reared back before standing at full height on all fours, letting out a mighty roar as it smashed its way straight out of the cave and into the open blue skies, completely unharmed. Lance began grinning like an idiot, allowing himself to take in the thrill of the ride as he let autopilot take over. The lion performed a perfect somersault-roll in mid-air, roaring once more as thrusters at its feet helped stabilize them, before shooting right back up in what was almost a perfectly vertical ascent. This, however, did send the rest into a frenzy, Hunk and Pidge screaming bloody murder and yanking at his clothes and hair while Keith and Shiro were thrown left and right like a bunch of rag dolls.

Still, painful yanking and mid-air tumbling aside, there was one thing that made it all worth it.

**_“YOU ARE! THE WORST! PILOT! EVER!!!”_ **

Ah yes, Keith completely losing his cool and screaming at the top of his lungs. It was glorious.

The lion continued its run, twisting and turning in the air, to literally running on all fours on the ground. It felt as if the lion was savouring its long-awaited freedom, relishing in joy at no longer being trapped in an empty cave for who knows how long. It once again took to the skies, this time, not stopping to perform any more tricks. This was when Lance began to feel a sense of danger.

“Where are you going?!” Keith demanded, and while Lance was still somewhat amused at his frantic state of mind, he knew he needed to get just a little more serious here.

“I’m not going anywhere, it’s like this thing’s on autopilot!” He responded, “I don’t know how, but I feel like it’s saying there’s an alien ship approaching Earth, and we’re supposed to stop it.”

“What did it say exactly?” Pidge inquired.

“It’s not exactly saying words Pidge, more like feeding ideas into my brain, kind of.” Lance explained, as simply and accurately as he could describe the feeling.

“Well if this thing is the weapon they’re coming for,” Hunk began to say, and Lance quickly recognized the tone as one of Hunk’s panic-fuelled states, “why don’t we just give it to them and maybe they’ll leave us alone. Sorry lion nothing personal.”

“You don’t understand,” Shiro chided without hesitation, “these monsters spread like a plague throughout the galaxy destroying everything in their path, there’s no bargaining with them. They won’t stop until everything is dead.”

Well. That was ominous. They all turned to give Hunk a quick look of judgement. He looked as meek as a mouse.

“Oh.” He squeaked, “Never mind then.”

Lance turned back to look outside, and his jaw dropped when he realised they had made it out of the Earth’s atmosphere. What? How? There was no resistance, no turbulence, no nothing, and Lance didn’t feel his center of gravity shift nor did he experience all his bodily fluids rushing to his head like he was taught would happen during training. Everything still felt normal and intact.

However, Lance wasn’t given the time to question it for very long, as a massive space ship with glowing purple lights flashed into existence in front of them without warning. Its size easily made the lion look like an ant next to a cat (wonderful analogy there Lance), and Lance could only describe the ship as something he never expected to see.

“Holy crow is that really an alien ship?!” Hunk exclaimed, clearly not even bothering to hide his panic anymore, while Lance’s eyes remained transfixed on the sight before him, his own emotions a wild mix of terror, shock, and even a bit of awe.

“They found me…” Shiro whispered as the lion circled the ship, only moments before the inevitable happened.

The alien ship began rapidly firing lasers, several of them all at once, straight at them. Lance acted quickly, tugging back at the levers with a warning for everybody to hang on. He couldn’t rely on the lion’s autopilot here, there was too much at stake. He forced the lion into rolls and swerves, somehow just barely managing to dodge all the lasers, but just barely wasn’t safe enough. He slammed down the levers, activating the thrusters located at the lion’s rear, sending them speeding forward and temporarily out of harm’s way.

“Okay! I think I know what to do!” Lance declared as he got used to the controls, devoting all his attention on getting them out of there.

“Be careful man! This isn’t a simulator!!” Wow. Thanks for the unwavering faith Pidge.

“Well that’s good,” Lance almost snapped back, but holding back just enough to make it sound more like his usual joking tone with just the tiniest hint of an annoyed laugh, “I always wrecked the simulator!”

Okay okay, time to focus. Time to try and fight back. Lance trusted the lion, and now, he had to trust himself.

 _‘You get one shot at this Lance! Make it count!’_ He encouraged himself as he pushed the left lever down with all his might, and thankfully, the lion responded in kind, opening its mouth and unleashing a powerful beam of crackling blue energy at the enemy ship, tearing into the metal and dragging the wound across the hull, igniting a stream of explosions along the left side of the ship.

With renewed confidence at his success, Lance decided to take it a little further. He wasn’t sure if it would turn out as successful, but he had to keep going. “Let’s try this!”

Lance pulled the levers back as far as they could go, all the way to the sides of his torso, and the lion immediately pulled into a nosedive and plunged its sharp metallic claws into the rear of the ship before blasting off the surface just in time to escape a second stream of explosions.

Cheers erupted from behind him, including a praise from both Keith and Shiro, and Lance couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride at what he’d done. But Lance wasn’t about to let that success get to him. He wasn’t about to get arrogant here. He knew he had limits, as well as next to zero experience with piloting the lion, while also not knowing what the enemy was capable of. Luck and guessing would only get them so far. It was time to leave.

“Okay, I think it’s time to get these guys away from our planet.” Lance announced, pushing down on the levers again and steering the lion away as quickly as he could. The ship turned, its massive size doing nothing to slow it down, and the team quickly realized the aliens were right on their tail. A little more and they would catch up, but something was odd…

“It’s weird, they’re not trying to shoot us, they’re just chasing!” He pointed out when he figured it out.

“Okay seriously, now we think having aliens follow us is good?!” Hunk protested, “I am not on board with this new direction guys!”

“At least it’s better than them attacking Earth,” Keith reasoned, “and the fact that they aren’t shooting at us means they want this thing undamaged for some reason. We can’t let them have it.”

“Where are we?” Pidge suddenly asked, diffusing the tension only slightly with his curious but nervous tone. Lance risked a glance outside, and his eyes widened when a familiar pale blue moon came into view.

“The edge of the solar system,” Shiro confirmed, “there’s Kerberos.”

“What?!” Pidge exclaimed in amazed disbelief, “It takes _months_ for our ships to get out this far! We got out here in five seconds!”

“We don’t have time to worry about that! The ship’s still chasing us!” Keith reminded, his sharp, serious tone revived. Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Then, a shimmer of energy appeared before them. As Lance watched, it erupted into an enormous spiral of blue, forming what looked like a portal to another dimension, freaking everyone out yet again. Lance heard the lion again, and he felt both a strong sense of understanding but also a sense of protest.

“Uh this might seem crazy but I think the lion wants us to go through there!” He yelled, not wanting to dive in without notifying the rest.

“Where does it go?” Pidge asked, and Lance eyed him, noticing that Pidge seemed to be a lot calmer all of a sudden. It was a bit strange, but there wasn’t time.

“I…I don’t know.” Lance admitted, dropping his façade and letting himself get serious for a bit, and turning to the only one he felt he could go to for advice in this situation, “Shiro, you’re the senior officer here, what should we do?”

“Whatever’s happening, the lion knows more than we do. I say we trust it.” Shiro answered, telling Lance all he really needed to know already. But he hadn’t expected Shiro’s next words.

“But we’re a team now. We should decide together.”

A team. That’s right. They were a team now, whether they liked it or not. Lance knew want he chose already, Shiro just gave him the last push he needed to finalize the decision. But the others…?

Pidge placed a hand on his shoulder, and Lance glanced over to see the little guy give him a determined nod. With that alone, Lance no longer needed to see nor hear anything else to know the choice was made for all of them.

“All right, then here we go!”

Lance activated the thrusters again, giving them just the quick burst of speed they needed as they flew straight into the mass of energy. This was it, whatever came for them next, they were going to have to deal with it together.

They dove in.

Everyone felt the effects right away, and Lance could only describe the feeling as the entire weight of a planet being thrust down on your shoulders, making it really hard to breathe or move, and if he hadn’t been sitting already he was sure he would’ve been brought to his knees. The immense gravitational force pushed them through the portal thing, and then it was over, the lion slowing to a gentle cruise, as if to give them a quick break. Lance stared forward as his own body stabilized, and for a moment, his mind couldn’t process anything as a headache began to form. His bruised chest wasn’t doing too well either.

“Woah…that…that was…” Lance began to say, but Hunk started to gag beside him, effectively cutting him off. Lance looked over at his teammate in concern.

“Hunk you okay buddy?” He asked.

“Here I still have some water.” Pidge offered, hastily digging through his backpack and producing one of the small bottles from Keith’s shack, handing it to Hunk at once. Hunk took it with a slightly forced grin of thanks and chugged it down, letting out a sigh of relief when he was done.

“So sorry, I guess whatever that was didn’t entirely agree with me.” He apologized, recapping the half-empty bottle and handing it back to Pidge to store it.

“Don’t worry about it, it was a lot to handle, I feel queasy myself honestly.” Lance assured him, his own head and chest kinda killing him at the moment. Hunk gave him a look of concern at that, but didn’t say anything.

“Shiro?” Keith’s voice came, concerned, and Lance looked up to see Shiro just staring out into space, quite literally, with a dumbfounded look on his face.

“I don’t recognize any of these constellations.” He told them, confirming Lance’s fears, “We must be a long, _long_ way from Earth…”

Lance looked out at the stars surrounding them, and the lion began to speak to him again. He looked downwards, and saw the large, Earth-like planet below them. He felt a sense of longing and warmth from the lion, a sense that Lance was all too familiar with, as the lion once again went on autopilot, flying down towards its desired location.

“Guys, the lion seems to want to go to this planet…” Lance informed them, “I think…I think it’s going home.”

 _‘Home…’_ Lance had to wonder, _‘after all this, would I ever see mine again…?’_

The lion dove down at breakneck speeds, causing everyone to grab onto either Lance or the pilot seat to keep from being thrown backwards. Lance himself wasn’t feeling fantastic either though.

They broke through the planet’s ozone layer, or whatever it was called, and the heat almost turned them into a giant fireball, but apparently the lion had a heat resistance and auto cooling system installed, so nothing serious happened. Once they caught sight of the clouds, the lion slowed to a steady pace, finally allowing them a smooth ride to actually relax.

“Guys, personal space!” Lance cried, falling back into his usual demeanor, and the group backed off.

“Okay I don’t know about you guys,” Hunk said, “but I’m starting to get second thoughts about flying through a mysterious wormhole. Why are we listening to a giant robot lion again?”

“Well it got us away from that alien warship didn’t it?” Lance argued, feeling a need to defend the lion.

“I don’t know if you noticed,” Keith grumbled, “but the lion is what got us chased by that ship in the first place.”

“Oh you scared?” Lance teased in response, only feeling slightly irritated, “Weren’t you the one looking for this thing out in the desert on your own for who knows how long?”

That shut Keith up, but it didn’t stop him from giving Lance a ferocious glare. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t as unnerving as it used to be. Maybe it was the lingering effects of the adrenaline rush from half-fighting and running from aliens, but Lance didn’t feel as if Keith was that creepy anymore. It was probably just the remaining satisfaction of hearing the oh-so-serious guy freak out earlier.

“All right knock it off.” Shiro scolded before anyone could argue further, “No one’s happy to be in this situation but we’re here now. If we wanna get through this we’re gonna have to do it together.”

“So what do we do?” Pidge inquired. Lance wanted to know the answer as well. Shiro frowned.

“First we find out where we’re headed,” He offered, “Lance?”

They looked to Lance for answers, and Lance tried asking the lion through their mental link thing, but there seemed to be no response. Lance frowned.

“I don’t know…I’m sorry the lion’s not talking to me anymore.” He told them, dejected, not wanting to see them disappointed in him or anything, especially after their ordeal. Well, at least he knew there was one surefire way to prevent that. Besides, who was he to pass up a chance at mess with others?

“Oh wait wait wait shhh, listen, I think I hear something…” He muttered, taking _immense satisfaction_ at everyone trying to hear whatever it was, before they all retched in disgust and held their noses at Lance’s little gas trick. Lance didn’t even try to hold back his smirk when everyone loudly complained.

Apparently, the lion got annoyed too, as Lance felt it telling him about a castle up ahead, and that it wanted to get there as soon as possible. Smirk still plastered on his face, Lance relayed the information to the rest, and let the lion take them to the intended destination.

The castle was made out of a gleaming white metallic material, separated into five main “towers”. Turquoise glass covered the windows, and the whole structure glowed with a pulsing energy. It looked extremely majestic and futuristic, and when the lion approached, the tops of the five “towers” lit up, as if welcoming the lion home. They landed in front of the main central “tower”, finally coming to a complete stop.

“Keep your guard up.” Shiro warned.

“Why, is something wrong?” Pidge asked, worried.

“My crew was captured by aliens once,” Shiro reminded them, “I’m not gonna let it happen again.”

Lance seriously doubted there would be hostile aliens on this planet, especially since he was sure the lion wasn’t out to hurt them, but he said nothing, deciding that there was no harm in being cautious. They were on another planet outside their solar system after all.

They alighted the lion, observing their surroundings for a moment. The lion gave them a little scare when it reared up and roared, but it seemed that that was the opening command for the castle doors, which glowed and invited them to enter. It was dark inside, with only the sunlight (was it sunlight? Lance wasn’t sure) streaming in allowing them to just barely see what was in front of them, as they moved in.

“Hello???” Hunk yelled without warning, startling everyone, who pointedly all simultaneously shot him a glare.

“Jeez dude!” Lance whisper-hissed, and Hunk shrugged sheepishly. When nothing came out to attack them though, the tension was dropped. They walked a little further in, until they came to a large stairway, kinda like those you would see in a Disney movie involving castles.

“From the size of the lion,” Pidge began to say once they felt it was safe to do so, “I expected these steps to be bigger.”

Before anyone could come up with a theory, the ceiling lit up and a warm turquoise light shone down upon them.

“Halt, for identity scan.” A robotic, feminine voice commanded. Not a second later, circles of turquoise energy drew up their bodies, though Lance felt nothing there. It was just a scan wasn’t it?

“Why are we here? What do you want with us?” Shiro called, but the only response he received was the turquoise energy lighting up the hallway in front of them, clearly beckoning them to head in that direction. Seeing no other alternative, the team walked onwards.

Lance watched the lights, well, _light up_ one by one as they walked on, passing an indoor balcony, another straight hall, and down a smaller flight of stairs, with Hunk occasionally calling out random “Hello”s again, though this time with fewer glares being shot his way. Eventually, they came to an empty room with a lowered platform in the center of it, a single control panel sitting right in the middle.

“It’s…some kind of control room?” Pidge noted as he walked past the panel, and just as the words left his mouth, everyone turned to the sound of something moving. Lance’s eyes widened as he watched a human-sized pod came out of the floor, another one next to it doing the same thing a second later. There were humanoid figures encased in the pods, unmoving. It sent a chill down Lance’s spine.

“Are these guys…dead?” Hunk asked, ducking behind the control panel. As if to answer the big guy, the first pod lit up and deactivated, revealing a dark-skinned woman with snow-white hair, dressed in royal blue. She looked human, except for the long pointed ears and pink markings beneath her eyes.

“Father!” She gasped as she awoke, instantly reaching out, causing her body to fall forward out of the pod. Lance moved quickly, just barely catching her in his arms. She looked up at him…and all the chills he felt just now vanished without a trace. Oh wow, she was gorgeous…

“Hello.” He said with what he hoped was a flirty smile, but the woman didn’t seem to care for that. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“…Who are you? Where am I?” She whispered, her voice as clear as crystal.

“I’m Lance, and you’re right here in my arms…” Lance replied, ignoring an exasperated groan from behind him, recognizing it to be Pidge. The woman however, seemed to be fixated on something else…

“Your ears…” She started, confusing Lance just a bit, until her next words.

“They’re hideous.” She deadpanned on a level rivalling Keith’s, before backing off with a disgusted look on her face, “What’s wrong with them?”

 _‘Well excuse me?!’_ Lance was offended. “Nothing’s wrong with them they heard exactly what you said about them – ah!”

Next thing Lance knew, he was forced to his knees as the woman yanked his ear hard and immobilizing him.

“Who are you!?” She demanded fiercely, “Where is King Alfor?! What are you doing in my castle?!”

“Ahhh!” Lance yelled in pain and panic, “A giant blue lion brought us here that’s all we know!”

At that, she released him and Lance rubbed his injured ear, sobbing just a little. Man, the lady had some strength.

“Why do you have the Blue Lion?” The woman asked, “What happened to its paladin? What are you all doing here? Unless…how long has it been?”

“We really don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shiro told her as Lance continued tending to his poor ear, “Why don’t you tell us who you are? Maybe we can help?”

The woman looked at each of them, an unsure expression on her face. She watched them carefully, as if determining whether or not they would be a threat to her. Lance thought he saw her stare at Shiro a little longer than the others, but made no comments.

“…I am Princess Allura of Altea.” She finally said, “I’ve got to find out where we are, and how long we’ve been asleep.”

She walked past them to the control panel with a commanding air about her, and Lance watched his teammates move for her as she did so. A princess huh? Lance didn’t have any problems believing that.

Allura placed her hands on either side of the panel and it activated, impressing Pidge and Hunk as a hologram of a screen lit up, and multiple lines of text in a language Lance couldn’t understand appeared. As Allura scrolled through them, the pod next to Lance also deactivated, and a pale-skinned alien man, with faded orange hair and moustache, about Lance’s own height popped out. He seemed to panic upon seeing Lance, for he leapt straight out of the pod and aimed a kick at Lance.

It…was disappointedly easy to avoid that.

The man’s foot collided with the pod Allura was in, and he yelled what Lance guessed was some alien curse word.

“Oh _quiznak_! You’re lucky I have a case of the ol’ sleep-chamber knees.” The man barked, “Otherwise I’d grab your head like this” – he began making weird hand gestures – “wrap you up like so” – more gestures – “one, two, three, sleepy time!”

Lance was amused. This guy was obviously no threat whatsoever. Lance began teasing him back, and the two began to engage in literal verbal combat with creative body language to display their moves. It was actually pretty fun.

“It can’t be…” Allura’s distraught voice interrupted their little squabble, as she stared at the screen with a look of shocked sorrow on her face.

“What is it?” The other alien guy asked.

“We’ve been asleep for ten thousand years!” Allura exclaimed in horror, “Planet Altea, and all of the planets in our solar system, have been destroyed.”

No…No way…these aliens, these people lost their entire solar system? Lance felt sick. Who would… _what_ kind of evil would do such a thing?

Allura solemnly turned away from the screen, her eyes closed in grief. “Coran, Father is gone. Our entire civilization…”

No one said a thing, allowing a moment of silence for Allura and the other guy, Coran, to mourn for their lost home. Lance felt their sorrow, he couldn’t imagine how he would feel if he woke up after a long sleep to find everything he ever knew and loved to be lost forever. It wasn’t fair.

“Zarkon…” Allura spat the word out like it was venom, a look of hate appearing on her features. At that, however, Shiro gasped loudly.

“Zarkon?” He asked, and Allura proceeded to explain, telling them he was the king of the Galra, which Lance guessed was the name of the enemy alien race. So they were the evil beings who destroyed the planets, the ones responsible for Allura and Coran’s homes being lost? Allura described the guy as a vile creature who was an enemy to free people. Lance hadn’t met the guy yet, but he had to agree.

“I remember now...I was his prisoner.” Shiro said, and Lance took note of that fact that Keith very visibly flinched at that. Why would he…

“He’s still alive? Impossible.” Allura asked in horrified disbelief. Lance couldn’t blame her. If they had been asleep for ten thousand years, the guy should’ve been dead.

“I can’t explain it but it’s true.” Shiro confirmed, though it looked as if he wished he didn’t have to, “He’s out there, searching for a super weapon called ‘Voltron’.”

“He’s searching for it because he knows it’s the only thing that can defeat him. And that’s exactly why we must find it before he does.” Allura replied, and once again, Lance noticed Keith stiffen. Something weird was going on with that guy. Lance remembered how much he felt like he couldn’t trust Keith back at the desert. Did this have something to do with it?

“So we have to find the rest of Voltron as soon as possible right?” Pidge asked, and Allura looked at him in confusion.

“‘The rest of’?” She parroted, “You know of Voltron being separated parts?”

“We know a little about it,” Hunk informed her, “when we found the Blue Lion, it showed us all a vision of four more robots combining with it to form Voltron, but that’s all we know.”

“The Blue Lion let you see that?” Allura gasped, and Coran’s jaw dropped. The two shared looks of…something, some silent communication between them. It was over quickly, and Allura went straight back into working at the control panel.

“If the Blue Lion was willing to share its mind with all of you, it means it has deemed you all worthy of piloting the lions.” Allura told them, “If that is the case, we can begin preparing to retrieve the others at once.”

“Princess, I believe it would be wiser to take a while to rest first, maybe eat something.” Coran urged in a concerned tone, “It has been ten thousand years after all.”

“I’m not hungry.” Allura replied, not taking her eyes off the screen. Lance folded his arms across his chest.

“Still, ten thousand years? That’s a really long time.” He commented.

“That’s quite an understatement.” Keith interjected somewhat mockingly, and Lance turned to glare at him.

“You have a problem buddy?” Lance snapped.

“I’m not your ‘buddy’.” Keith deadpanned. Again. Man this guy…

“You two, cut it out.” Shiro called in a reprimanding tone, “This is no time for a fight.”

“I’m more interested in all this advanced technology everywhere.” Pidge said, effectively changing the topic as he glanced around the room, “I can’t believe your people created all this ten thousand years ago!”

“Yeah, it must have been an incredible place.” Hunk added on with a smile.

This seemed to have a bit of a negative effect though. Coran gave them a sad but grateful smile. “Yes, it was. But now it is gone, and we’re the last Alteans alive.”

He turned to Allura, who stopped moving her hands. She trembled, before she turned around and flung her arms around Coran, who returned the embrace solemnly.

“It’s just not fair…” She muttered, but showed no signs of tears. Lance wanted to tell both her and Coran it was okay to cry, they had a perfectly valid reason to. But the comfort of the two Alteans didn’t come from him or any of the other Earthlings. An excited squeak began echoing throughout the room, and everyone turned to look at Allura’s pod.

“What…?” Allura muttered as she approached, looking inside. She gasped as she bent down and moved her hands into it, pulling them back a second later to reveal four tiny, oddly-coloured mice.

“Looks like we aren’t the last after all Coran.” She smiled, the mice squeaking happily and scurrying up around her arms to her shoulders. Okay, that was cute.

But of course, something had to go wrong.

A loud, shrill alarm began blaring out from the control panel, startling everyone, and causing Keith to slam his hands against the sides of his head in an attempt to block out the noise. Coran let out a gasp of panic, and quickly checked what was wrong through the control panel. The screen quickly pulled up a display of an alien space ship, not unlike the one they were chased by earlier.

“A Galra battleship has set its tracker to us!” Coran exclaimed.

“What?! How did they find us?!” Allura questioned in alarm.

“I bet it’s Keith’s fault!” Lance blabbed out, and sure enough, Keith got mad.

“My fault?! You’re the one who drove that lion all the way up here and got us stuck on the other side of a wormhole!”

“I’ll stick you in a wormhole!!”

“Enough!” Shiro commanded angrily, “This isn’t the time to be pointing fingers, it’s time to be working as a team. How long before the ship arrives?”

“I can’t make an accurate calculation, but at their speed it should be an estimated two to three Altean days perhaps?” Coran offered, but Keith was obviously still in a pissed off mood.

“‘Estimated’? Can’t you make sure?!” He snapped, and Shiro placed a firm hand on his shoulder to prevent him from lunging at the moustached Altean, probably. Jeez what’s his problem?

“Keith calm down, they’re doing the best they can.” Shiro urged, an edge of pleading included. Keith was still glaring, but he seemed to listen to Shiro and backed off. Another weird thing…

“Either way, that estimate should be enough.” Allura stated, bringing them back on topic, “We are going to let them come, but by the time they get here, you five will have re-formed Voltron, and together, we will destroy Zarkon’s empire.”

“Are you sure about that?” Hunk asked nervously, “We’re not all ace pilots here.”

“Hunk has a point,” Shiro agreed, “and Princess, there are five of these lions. How are we going to find the rest?”

“Come with me to the main control room. I will show you there.” Allura practically ordered, and she headed out the doorway of the room, mice still squeaking on her shoulders. Coran followed without hesitation, and a second later, Shiro, Pidge and Hunk as well. Lance began to take off, but he noticed Keith still rooted on the spot, staring at the lingering image of the Galra ship with an unreadable expression on his face, but with the same intensity in his purple eyes that Lance found himself wary of.

“Hey mullet, get moving!” Lance yelled, taking advantage of being still slightly miffed about earlier and not let his wariness stop him. Keith glared at him.

“What did you call me!?” He demanded, but Lance was used to the threatening tone already.

“You heard me mullet! Now let’s go!” He yelled again, not bothering to wait for Keith any longer and rushed off so he wouldn’t lose sight of the rest. Fortunately, Keith got the hint and was following close behind. They didn’t say anything to each other, both clearly still willing to fight if given the chance, but knowing that they had to get where the rest were.

When they got to the main control room where the rest were, Allura was just stepping into a raised platform bathed in a warm turquoise light. Coran was explaining how King Alfor, Allura’s dad as Lance recalled, had connected the lions to Allura’s life force, thus she alone was the key to the locations of the remaining lions. Lance had to say, that was a pretty smart tactic.

The light Allura stood under then broke apart into a massive hologram of stars all around them, making it seem as if they were standing within a mini, translucent galaxy. Cue gasps of wonder.

“These are…coordinates.” Pidge noted, “The Black Lion looks like it’s in the same location as the Blue Lion.”

“Very observant.” Allura complimented, “That’s because the Black Lion is in the castle.”

“To keep the Black Lion out of Zarkon’s hands, King Alfor locked it in the castle.” Coran elaborated, “It can only be freed if the other four lions are present.”

“As you have found,” Allura carried on, “The lions choose their pilots. It is a mystical bond, and cannot be forced.”

Lance listened closely to Allura’s explanation of the bond between the lions and their pilots. While he didn’t quite understand what ‘quintessence’ was, he got most of it. He had felt the Blue Lion’s energy, shared its thoughts and linked their minds. Lance felt a surge of pride to know that it meant that the Blue Lion chose him.

Allura then proceeded to describe each of the individual lions.

The Black Lion was the leader, the decisive head. It required a pilot who was always in control, a born leader who could inspire their comrades, who would follow them without hesitation. Shiro’s Lion.

The Green Lion was inquisitive, daring and intellectual. It needed a pilot who could satisfy its curious and bold nature, and also one who could come up with clever solutions to problems. Pidge’s Lion.

The Blue Lion was…

“No no, wait,” Lance couldn’t resist interrupting for no particular reason, flashing Allura a bright smile, “Let me guess, the Blue Lion picks the most handsome and best pilot of the bunch?”

His efforts were met with unamused looks all around. Allura in particular shot him a look of disappointment before she continued.

The Yellow Lion was a protector, caring and kind with a mighty heart. It wanted a pilot who placed the needs of other before their own, someone who was willing to defend what was right, and lift the spirits of the team. Hunk’s Lion.

However, when the last lion was being spoken of…

“The Red Lion is temperamental, and the most difficult to master.” Allura spoke carefully as she created a hologram of the Red Lion like she did with the rest, “It’s faster and more agile than the others, but also more unstable. Its pilot needs to be someone who relies more on instinct, than skill alone. Keith, you will fly the Red Lion.”

“Wha…What?” Keith said, seemingly shocked at the suggestion, “I…I don’t think that’s possible Princess.”

“Why ever not?” Allura asked in confusion, “From what I can sense of each of you, Keith, you would be an excellent pilot for the Red Lion…”

“I’m not talking about the requirements here!” Keith cut her off sharply, plunging the room into silence. It seemed he hadn’t meant to do that, as a look of unsettling realization appeared on his face right after. Lance stared at him, completely taken aback, as did everyone else. Keith lowered his gaze.

“…The Red Lion will never accept me Princess.” He spoke in a reserved manner, baffling Lance, “I…I don’t believe I can…”

“Keith.” Shiro interrupted, walking over and placing a hand on Keith’s shoulder, “The lion will accept you, I know it will.”

“No you don’t Shiro.” Keith told him, “You guys need to find someone else, I can’t pilot the Red Lion.”

“Why are you so sure of that?” Hunk asked, a brow creased in worry. Keith didn’t respond, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the floor. Allura and Coran looked at one another with concern.

“Keith, I’m sure you have reservations about this.” Allura told him, “I’m sure all of you do. But you must understand. We need the lions, and we need their paladins. Right now, you are all we have, and quite frankly, I don’t share your beliefs that the lion will not accept you.”

“But, I…” Keith tried to protest, but apparently came up with nothing. Lance eyed him, trying to figure him out. He didn’t get it. Keith clearly fit the bill, even if he didn’t ever plan on admitting it out loud. This was the guy who survived out in a desert alone for a long time, who rushed into a heavily guarded base to save Shiro, and who willingly dove off the edge of a cliff to escape a chase. And yet, he didn’t think a lion that was literally described as reckless and unstable would accept him? Where did that come from?

“Keith look,” Shiro tried again, “I don’t know what made you think you can’t be the Red Lion’s pilot, but I do think you should try to give it a shot. My commander on the Kerberos mission always told me that if you’re too worried about what could go wrong, you might miss a chance to do something great. So give it a chance at least, okay?”

Lance thought he heard a slight squeak from Pidge, but it could’ve been his imagination. Keith on the other hand looked up at Shiro, staring him dead in the eye, and Lance noticed that Keith looked…lost. Vulnerable even, just a little bit. He…He never expected to see such a sad expression on Keith’s face.

Keith was silent as he shrugged off Shiro’s hand, turning away from everyone.

“…I’ll give it a chance.” He finally said, “But don’t expect anything from me.”

No one dared to say anything, and Shiro was staring at Keith with the worst look of remorse Lance had ever seen on _anyone_. Whatever it was that happened to Keith to make him feel like this, it had happened when Shiro was around, and Shiro not remembering things must have killed both of them inside. Lance frowned. This…this was too complicated. He…He had to say something…anything…!

“So where are the other lions?” Lance blurted out, the words almost blending together because of how fast he said them. Allura blinked in surprise, and shook her head.

“Y-Yes,” She said cautiously, facing the rest of them properly once more, “We’ve already located the Green and Yellow lions. The Red Lion, unfortunately, seems to be undetectable at the moment. I’m sure it is due to the castle requiring some repairs after so long.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find it soon.” Coran assured them, “They don’t call me the _Coranic_ for nothing.”

The what?

Coran tried to explain it was some word play on his name and the word ‘mechanic’, but Lance wasn’t getting it. Still, Lance appreciated the shift of atmosphere in the room. He glanced over at Keith again, his opinion of the guy absolutely jumbled.

“Once all the lions are found,” Allura continued, “you will form Voltron, the most powerful warrior ever known. The Defender of the Universe.”

“Well, we don’t have much time.” Shiro reminded, stealing a quick, worried glance at Keith that Lance barely caught, “Pidge and I will go after the Green Lion. Lance, you take Hunk and get the Yellow Lion.”

“Sure thing.” Lance promised with a slightly forced grin.

“Keith,” Shiro addressed, and Keith stiffened, “…you stay here. If the Red Lion is located, go get it. Give it a chance.”

Keith only gave a wordless nod.

“In the meantime, I’ll get the castle’s defenses ready.” Allura said, “They’ll be sorely needed.”

“I’ll load up a pod with coordinates to the Green Lion.” Coran told Shiro and Pidge, who nodded in acknowledgement.

“Get ready, you are to leave at once.” Allura ordered, and the team obeyed. Keith remained in the control room, while Lance dashed off with Hunk back to the castle entrance where the Blue Lion awaited them. Lance had to admit he was concerned about leaving Keith there with the two Alteans, but he had to have faith that things would turn out right.

The Blue Lion greeted them with a roar before allowing them to board, and Lance took to the pilot’s seat once more.

“So we’re really doing this huh.” Hunk asked, still clearly nervous, but more determined than before. Lance wondered if the prep talk with Keith had anything to do with it.

“Yup. We got into this already, might as well finish it.” Lance answered. They took to the skies, where Shiro and Pidge’s pod met them before they flew out of the planet’s atmosphere together.

“We can only leave the wormholes leading up to the other lions open for up to two of your Earth hours.” Coran informed them through a built-in communications system, “So you’ll have to be quick about your work.”

“Are you prepared?” Allura asked for confirmations.

“All set.” Lance answered, and heard the other two respond in kind.

“All right, good luck to you all.” Allura said, and Lance took a deep breath as the Blue Lion flew through that wormhole into their first real mission ever.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For interested beta readers:
> 
> -Need to be able to read and provide feedback within a week of receiving chapters  
> -Preferably has a Tumblr account for communication to discuss details  
> -Willing to be BRUTALLY honest with both critique and praise, please I need to know  
> -In return, you will be able to read chapters earlier than others, and I will be happy to write you one fanfic prompt per month for as long as you are beta reading (please keep in mind there are topics I do not write, but we will discuss those privately)
> 
> Thank you very much to anyone who is willing, and I look forward to working with you!
> 
> Beta Beading Reference:  
> http://corrinejackson.com/wordpress/2010/02/08/how-to-beta-read/


	3. Blinded Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Expansions on missing scenes in canon from Allura and Hunk's perspectives with emotional stuff. Canon is finally derailed at the end of this chapter. At last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm sorry for being a day late. This chapter was...difficult. I'll be honest, I don't like this chapter much. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Allura and Hunk. The show doesn't give these two enough credit, especially Hunk. But see, this is like the fourth version of chapter 3, which I've butchered and re-written entirely at least twice. One reason was because this was supposed to be the Keith chapter, but I couldn't find a way to write it without giving away too much of what happens later. So I ended up changing perspectives entirely deciding to put things into building up characterization, and in a rush to try and get it up on time, I did next to no proof-reading for this version, which is disappointing. Hunk especially feels really off, so I will probably need to fix this chapter at some point. Still, I hope you guys find it acceptable at least.
> 
> That being said...Did everyone watch the Voltron season 2 trailer yet I was just about to post this when I saw it and let's just say it was like 5 am for me and I almost woke my sister. I'm very excited. VERY.

Allura watched the Blue Lion and the pod disappear into the wormholes she had opened with clenched hands and a worried heart. She hoped the Earthlings, her new paladins, would be able to complete the mission she had assigned them and return safely. The last thing she wanted was to send them to their deaths, but she knew she had to take the risk. She needed those lions. She needed to take down Zarkon.

Waking up to find out she had been asleep for so long, to find out that she and Coran, along with the mice, were the only Alteans left alive, it was…the feeling was… _indescribable_. It felt as if she had fallen into a pit, and didn't stop falling. Feelings of despair, emptiness, and hatred had engulfed her when she realized the truth, and a large part of her wanted nothing more than to deny it and some way to prove it was no more than a horrible, horrible dream. Yes, she still had Coran and the mice at least, who were a great comfort, but what of everything else?

Her father, her friends, her people, her kingdom, everything she had ever known...it was all gone, and she had been helpless to stop it, trapped in the sleep chamber without ever even knowing what was happening until it had been far too late.

However, no matter how much pain she felt, Allura knew she had to accept the reality. She was one of the last survivors of the Altean race, and the only one left of the royal family. She had the ability to locate the missing lions and provide the universe with a chance to fight back. She had to take that chance. If only to make sure no other race had to suffer the loss of their planet like hers had.

Time to get to work.

“All right Princess,” Coran said, catching her attention, “I’m going to head down to the central energy chamber to make sure everything is working properly there. If you need me please don’t hesitate to let me know at once.”

“Of course Coran, thank you very much.” Allura replied, smiling genuinely in spite of her inner turmoil. The little mice squeaked from her shoulders as well, as if to show their gratitude as well. Coran returned the smile, then promptly left the room. Allura looked back at the screens in front of her, pulling up some files of the castle’s systems, wanting to ensure that she knew what was working and what wasn’t, as well as how well they were working. After all, it was still entirely possible that the Galra may attack at some point, since Shiro mentioned earlier, when they left the infirmary, that they were chased by one of their ships while inside the Blue Lion. It was a concerning thought, and Allura wanted to be able to have at least some of the castle’s defenses ready in case of such an attack.

There was another rather significant concern though. Allura paused for a moment, then she turned her head to look over her shoulder, where Keith stood near one of the windows, arms folded across his chest and seeming to stare aimlessly at the ground.

Out of all the Earthlings, Keith confused her the most. The others all seemed considerably lively, even Shiro, who had told Allura that he had been Zarkon's prisoner. She shuddered at the thought, no one should have to have to be held captive under that awful creature's control, but so far, Shiro hardly seemed affected, acting like a leader among them, taking charge and giving encouragement to his teammates when needed.

Which brought Allura back to Keith, who had needed that very encouragement.

Keith was very different from the other humans. He spoke in a much more reserved manner for one, and almost always seemed to maintain an expression of indifference. Granted, Allura had only just met him, and it was quite possible that he was merely the type to only get expressive when he got used to others. She certainly knew… _had known_ …some individuals who were similar in that regard.

However, it was his display of a severe lack of confidence to pilot the Red Lion that perplexed Allura the most.

Why would he so strongly believe that he would not be accepted? To even tell her, who had her very life force connected to the lions, that he should not expect much from him? The others had accepted it, even Hunk, who had seemed so scared. So why not Keith?

Personally, Allura felt that it was surely no coincidence that these five humans had been brought to the castle. Lance had already proven capable of piloting the Blue Lion, despite his rather... _interesting_ behavior. Also, she had quickly sensed something in each of them when she activated the castle's system that connected her to the lions, something special, and she was certain the lions would respond to each of them in kind. They were the ones who were destined to pilot the Lions of Voltron. She was sure of it.

"Keith," She called, deciding to speak with him and hopefully figure out the reason for his lack of confidence, "might I speak to you for a moment?"

Keith looked up from the floor and met her gaze. To the untrained eye, it would’ve seemed as if he was sending her a disinterested glare of annoyance. However, to Allura, who had spent the majority of her life meeting and observing people of all sorts, Keith appeared cautious and apprehensive, like he wanted to avoid conversation and perhaps even flee the room. She felt a spark of disappointment at that, but decided to ignore it and proceed. One of the mice squeaked at her, wishing her luck. She gave a subtle glance of gratitude in response before addressing Keith again.

“I’m sure you can guess what it is I would like to speak to you about.” Allura prodded, not really liking having to urge Keith to answer, but seeing no other way if she wanted to figure out what the real problem was.

Keith stared at her for a few ticks, before he let out a sigh and replied. “About why I think the Red Lion wouldn’t accept me I’m assuming?”

Well that was a rather flat tone. This was not going to be an easy task.

“You’re correct actually,” Allura told him, trying to adopt a less diplomatic manner of speaking and switching to a more casual one, but it seemed that she wasn’t particularly good at that, “I would like you know why you hold such a belief? If there anything significant bothering you regarding that? If it is something you would rather not discuss with the other Earthlings around…”

She trailed off, giving Keith some room to examine her unspoken offer of confidentiality. After all, she wasn’t sure how humans handled these kinds of issues, and she didn’t want to overstep any potential boundaries they may have. The mice remained silent this time, watching Keith as well.

Keith raised an eyebrow at her, seemingly questioning her motives. He didn't particularly seem to trust her, which somewhat dispirited her. Another sigh escaped him as he averted his gaze from her own, looking back downwards.

"I appreciate the offer Princess," He told her, "But it's not anything involving the others. It’s just that, my situation is…complicated. If you don't mind, I just don't want to talk about it."

"Are you certain?" Allura asked again after a short pause, "I'm sure that if we talk for a bit I may be able to clear some doubts you may have."

"I'm sure." Keith replied rather firmly, gaze still averted as his expression remained unchanged. He was keeping all his secrets locked away, and Allura had no access to the key. She was quite crestfallen at the thought, but in the end, she decided it was best not to keep on pushing him. After all, Alteans hardly liked being pressured into revealing what they preferred to keep confidential, and it seemed possible Earthlings were the same. She wouldn’t want to end up turning this into an argument. Also, she understood the need to keep secrets as well.

However, Allura still wanted Keith to know that there was no reason for him to be so uncertain. She removed her hands from the controls, ensuring that the command to keep the wormholes open remained active.

“All right, I won’t ask to discuss it if you really do not wish to,” She told him, turning around completely and descending from the raised platform in an attempt to bring herself to his level, “But I would like to tell you something important.”

Keith looked up as she properly faced him, but didn’t verbalize a response, so she just continued.

“Lance interrupted my description earlier, but I was going to tell you all that the Blue Lion is an empathetic soul, one who believes greatly in the value of trust. When it comes to a judgement of character, it is the lion we have always put our faith in, apart from the Black Lion as the leader. Earlier, it was mentioned that you all saw a vision of Voltron, correct?”

“…Yes?” Keith answered unsurely, and Allura offered him a gentle smile as she approached him carefully.

“Then it means that the Blue Lion has chosen to place its trust in you as well as the others. For you all to have seen the vision, the Blue Lion must have allowed _all_ your minds to connect with its own. Similarly, I also feel that there is something unique and special about each of you. For you in particular, I feel a sense of burning flame worthy of the Guardian of Fire. I have no doubt that you will be able to pilot the Red Lion.”

She was only a few steps away from Keith now, close enough to look him in the eye clearly, but far enough to hopefully pose no threat. Keith’s eyes widened slightly at her speech, and his fingers tightened their grip on his forearms.

That was not the reaction she had been anticipating. He still looked dreadfully uncertain.

“Keith,” She said again, “I don’t understand why you feel this way, but may I ask that you please…”

“I already said I’d give it a chance.” Keith interrupted rather harshly, cutting Allura off completely, “But I also said you shouldn’t expect much from me, because all that’s gonna do is build up false hope.”

Allura drew back in disbelief at his words, and Keith seemed to take this moment to escape. He turned on his heel and hurriedly moved towards the door of the room.

“Wait, where are you going?” Allura exclaimed, reaching a hand out, wanting to stop him. However, she found that she couldn’t actually find the willpower to move her feet to try and physically stop him. Keith didn’t even flinch at her exclamation, but stopped at the door momentarily.

“Sorry, but I need some space.” He said bluntly, “…Let me know if you find the Red Lion.”

With that, he promptly left the room entirely, leaving Allura just standing there, confused and worried, once again feeling that sense of helplessness she had felt when she realized she hadn’t been able to do anything to save her people. The situations may have been drastically different, but even so, to be unable to do anything to dispel Keith’s insecurities and fears…it wasn’t pleasant. Allura bit her lip. She absolutely _hated_ this feeling. There was nothing worse than not being able to help someone when they needed it.

A squeaking came from her shoulder, and Allura looked at the mice, who she had forgotten were still perched there. She smiled gently, lifting her hands up to them so they could jump on. She brought them close to her face, and they squeaked again. Instantly, Allura could feel their minds linking with one another’s, possibly a side effect from having shared a pod for so many years.

They were telling her to calm down, that it wasn’t her fault, and that it was okay. While it didn’t quite quell her feelings of utter uselessness, it did give her some comfort to know that there were those who supported her through her innermost emotional conflicts.

“Oh thank you little ones.” She said softly, “I suppose I will just have to make sure I do everything I can now right?”

The largest one, with pale yellow fur, was the one that squeaked a response as the rest merely blinked and nodded along. He told her that that was a good idea, and she allowed herself a slight giggle.

"Well then, I should get back to work." Allura declared, allowing the little creatures to return to the comforts of her shoulders, where the baby blue one decided to play around with a few loose strands of her hair, as she walked back to the control panel. The screens were still up, displaying the castle's data. She looked through it all, and quickly concluded that the majority of the castle seemed to be in working order, but there were likely to be some areas which may have dulled with age. She took note of that before filing it away for future reference. She also did a quick check of the wormholes' statuses, and was relieved to see nothing had disturbed them.

Allura thought it would be best if she now focused on locating the Red Lion. After all, without any leads on where it may be, it could take longer than would be convenient for them all. It could possibly even take days if it happened to be far enough from the planet they were on.

Locating the Lions of Voltron worked a little differently from the usual Altean tracking systems. For one, only Allura alone could do such a thing, for her father had linked her life to the lions'. Another was that she would have to reach out her mind and feel for their presence, while she was connected to the castle's universal map. Once she could feel a lion's presence, its coordinates show up automatically in the map. It was quite a simple process.

The mice did nothing to hinder her as she focused, closing her eyes as she pulled open the universal map. In fact they might have even helped to boost her concentration, through the use of their mental link. It was nice to know she wasn't doing it on her own.

A few minutes passed, and Allura was upset to find that she could feel nothing. It was quite concerning. Had the castle's aging really caused the systems to dull down to such an extent?

She repeated the process, just in case it was merely a matter of her not waiting long enough. She maintained her focus for at least twice as long, but still saw no results. It was beginning to frustrate her.

This must have been noticed by the mice, for the pink mouse chirped at her, suggesting that she check in with Coran to determine the cause.

"That's an excellent idea. Thank you." Allura told him, and he blushed with an adorable smile. The one with red eyes snickered at that, and the pink one hissed in annoyance in response while the blue one laughed. Allura snorted a little, her frustration fading as the pink one squeaked at her in outrage.

"I apologize, but that was rather funny." She told him, and he huffed. They were precious little things, weren't they? "All right, let's see if we can get Coran back here."

She tapped a few keys on a holographic panel she brought up, connecting to the castle-wide intercom system. After double-checking it to ensure it was in proper working order, she then typed in some specifics to make sure her message would only be broadcasted to the generator room where Coran was, partly because it would be a waste of precious power to do so otherwise, and partly because she avoid bothering Keith, wherever he was.

Allura let out a sigh when Keith crossed her mind again, that lingering sense of helplessness nagging at her slightly again. She shook her head, forcing those invasive thoughts away. No, it wasn't the time for that. 

Tapping a key, Allura spoke into the intercom.

"Coran, I would like to discuss something with you. Can you return to the control room as soon as possible please?" She requested. Unfortunately, the intercom only really went one way, so if Coran acknowledged it, she wouldn't really know until he actually showed up. It wasn't that she thought he would ignore her request intentionally, but Coran did often get... _distracted_...in his work. Not a particularly bad trait if one wanted to get things done quickly, but it did tend to cause a few minor communication problems.

Allura needn't have worried though. A few minutes later, the door to the room opened and revealed Coran there, a confident and comforting smile on his face as he walked over.

"So, what is you wanted to discuss Princess?" He asked her, glancing around, “Might I ask where Keith went?”

“Um, yes…” Allura replied, slightly solemnly, “He…He decided he wanted some privacy.”

Coran raised an eyebrow, looking like he was questioning what had occurred, but he said nothing, to Allura’s relief, really.

"Well in any case,” Allura continued, resuming a more proper stance, “before anything else, I would like to ask about the condition of the central energy chamber. Is everything working well at least?”

“Quite well given the circumstances. It was offline for quite some time, so there were some minor tweaks I had to make, but nothing particularly significant. It should return to its original condition within a few days. Fortunately the crystal energy supply is still abundant.”

“I see, that’s a relief. Now, regarding the issue I’ve called you here for, it's the Red Lion. I can't seem to locate it. I wanted to know if you could have an idea of why."

Coran stroked his moustache as he took in her words. He thought about it for a moment before he glanced at the universal map which Allura still had up.

"Well, it's merely a theory," He offered, "but perhaps it is the fault of the map itself? Or perhaps a power issue?"

"The map itself?"

"Yes Princess," Coran clarified, "it has been a long time. It is likely that the universe we once knew is no longer the same as the universe now. After all, ten thousand years is enough time to allow change in the space out there. It’s possible the Red Lion is simply within a new area previously unknown to us Alteans."

He seemed to sadden as he explained, which, honestly, was something Allura could wholeheartedly understand. Still, there were a few significant issues about the theory that needed to be addressed.

"Thank you Coran." She said, offering a sympathetic smile, "But if it is an issue of the map being… _outdated_ , it will not be an easy problem to solve. We can’t possibly scan the entire universe after all. Also, even if it is the map not recognizing coordinates, I should still be able to feel the Red Lion’s presence.”

Coran stroked his moustache again. “That’s where the power issue comes in Princess. Your life force is connected to the lions, yes, but the castle is needed to act as a conduit for the connection to be made clear. Otherwise you would just always been sensing the lions, which your father thought would be quite the headache.”

At the mention of her father, Allura felt her heart sink slightly, but made sure to not let it show. The mice noticed, however, and at least two of them sent her a silent message of reassurance through their mental link. She responded with a quick thought of thanks.

“So what would you suggest would be a better course of action Coran?” Allura asked, returning her focus to the situation at hand.

“Hopefully, this just means we will have to wait for the power levels to be restored to an appropriate level.” Coran provided with a shrug, “As for the updating of the map, I suppose it would be best for us to make use of the existing data and see where we can go from there.”

“All right, it does seem to be all we can do. I suppose we might as well use the remaining time to start running some diagnostics tests.”

“Excellent idea Princess.”

Allura met Coran’s gaze as the discussion came to an end. He was giving her the same smile he’d always given her, one of full, uplifting support. A smile she had grown up with, one that cheered her up during her childhood when she made mistakes in her studies. She could not stop herself from giving him a smile of gratitude in return. However, her thoughts drifted again, and Allura recalled how saddened Coran had been when she had announced how long they’d slept. How full of sorrow his words had sounded when he talked about the map.

Perhaps there was something else she could do to truly express how grateful she was to have him here with her.

"Coran,” Allura spoke, smile never leaving her face, “I know we are all that is left of Altea, and I know that it isn't something either of us can get used to so easily. So, I hope to be able to confide in you when it becomes a burden too difficult to bear."

As expected, Coran did not hesitate to give her a nod, placing a hand over his chest as he gave her a slight bow.

"Of course Allura. You know you can count on me if you ever needed it." He told her, but Allura shook her head.

"I'm not quite done Coran." She informed, "I realize my own emotions about this matter, but as much as I hope you can help me with my burdens, I hope that you also know that you may ask the same of me at any time."

Coran was instantly taken aback by her words, eyes widening and almost jumping back in surprise. Dramatics aside, Allura didn't particularly blame him. All their lives, the two kept a close relationship, but the truth was that when it came to emotional support, it was rather one-sided, for Coran never found it appropriate to allow her to take on any of his problems. They were the Princess of Altea and the King's Advisor.

Now was the time to change that.

"Coran, I don’t wish to be ignorant of your burdens." Allura continued speaking, wanting to make the facts as clear as possible, wanting to make sure that she could help Coran when he required it, "We are no longer a princess and her attendant. We are the last Alteans, and I want to make the most of what we both have left. Please, do not hesitate to talk to me about missing Altea or anything of the sort if you need to. Can you allow me to be your confidant, as you’ve been mine for all these years?"

There was a pause, the two of them just watching each other in a tranquil silence as Coran seemed to take in her words carefully. Eventually, to Allura’s delight, his smile returned, but this time, there was a hint of something new to it.

"I understand Allura." He finally said, features softening as she recognized that something new he gave her was a look of gratitude, "I thank you, for thinking of me in this manner. Please allow me to accept your offer.”

Allura let out a laugh. “Accepted. Now, shall we begin running those tests?”

They decided not to do any major tests, just in case it interfered with the wormholes that where still left open, so they mostly made the systems perform simple tasks, such as testing the lightings, doors, and surveillance.

At one point, they spotted Keith sitting at a corner next to a window, eyes closed and hands on the floor for whatever reason, but they switched cameras quickly. No need to be impolite after all.

By the time most of those little tests were completed, it seemed the time for the paladins to return was drawing rather close. Coran suggested to try searching for the Red Lion once again, and Allura agreed that it was fitting. However, this time, she felt just a hint of nervousness. She supposed she was worried she would not be able to sense it again, but she pushed the worries down. Nervous or not, she had to try.

Just before Allura placed her hands on the controls, however, Keith burst into the room violently, startling both Allura and Coran as well as the mice, who all squeaked in horror and dove into her hair for shelter.

“Keith?! Whatever is the matter?!” Allura demanded in her startled state, before she noticed the slight look of panic on the Earthling’s face. He stomped over to them brashly and swiftly, which only added to Allura’s nervousness.

“Could you check on the status of the Galra ship?” Keith asked, almost frantically, much to Allura’s confusion.

“The Galra ship? But why…” She started to ask, but Keith cut her off.

“I…I thought I saw something in the sky. I wasn’t sure what it was but I…I started having a bad feeling. I don’t know what it was but…”

He trailed off, and an unmistakable expression of distress appeared on his face. Allura couldn’t understand why he suddenly seemed so… _frightened._ Did it have something to do with his insecurities about piloting the Red Lion? But then again, he had acted very differently when confronted with said insecurities. It could be an Earthling thing, but something felt off to Allura. Something she couldn’t really place.

“Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to check.” She finally said, turning back to her screen. She did a quick scan of the area, making sure to not waste too much of the power they had waited for, and when she saw the results…

Her heart stopped.

“Oh no…” She muttered, a hand flying to cover her mouth in horror. Beside her, Coran and Keith shared a concerned and uneasy look.

“Allura, what is it?” Coran asked, his voice slightly shaky.

“It’s…it’s the Galra ship.” Allura replied, feeling her own blood go cold as the realization sank in, “They’re orbiting Arus right now, meaning we don’t have much time left.”

“What?! So Keith saw was the…”

“The Galra ship!” Keith finished for Coran, his look of distress now far more obvious, “How long before the rest get back?!”

“I can’t say,” Allura answered, “but at least we still have a few hours before they get close enough to launch an attack. By then your team would’ve returned.”

Keith winced at the mention of the others, much to Allura’s confusion yet again, but she didn’t particularly have time to dwell on that. A sudden surge of energy washed over her, though it dissipated almost instantly right after. She gasped, recognizing the feeling.

“The Red Lion…” She whispered to herself, she had felt the Red Lion. But how? Where?

Slamming her hands down on the controls, Allura immediately focused on searching for the missing lion of Voltron. Unlike before, when she tried but came up with nothing, the response was almost immediate. A powerful energy engulfed her senses, a burning sensation coursing through her very being. A vision came to her mind, a vision of the Red Lion, suspended within its protective barrier, surrounded by eerie purple walls and violet lights.

As the vision faded, so did Allura’s composure.

The Red Lion was on the Galra ship. It had been found and captured by the Galra. A sudden burst of rage and frustration erupted in Allura’s chest, and her hands closed into tight fists, nails digging into her palm, but she hardly cared.

How? How did the Galra find the Red Lion? And now that they had it, how was she supposed to retrieve it? She had hoped they would be able to find the lions and form Voltron before the ship arrived, but now, not only was their deadline cut painfully short, the enemy had one of the crucial parts of their main weapon. Things didn’t bode well for them, but Allura knew there was no way she could allow herself to give up.

There was no way she was going to allow Zarkon to obtain another victory against her and her people.

“Allura, Allura what’s wrong?” Coran’s voice pulled her out of her state of anger, though the emotion lingered. She looked at him, a grim expression surely on her face. Coran and Keith were watching her, both with worried eyes. She took a deep breath as she attempted to regain what was left of her emotional control.

“I’m afraid the news is worse than we thought.” She told the two, “It appears that the Galra have captured the Red Lion. We may be in a lot more trouble than expected.”

“What?!” Coran exclaimed, “But that’s…that’s…!!”

It was rare to see Coran at a loss for words, and in this case, it was a clear sign that there was a lot to worry about. In spite of that, Allura couldn’t help but notice Keith’s reaction. He had dropped his gaze, his look of distress far more intense now, but that was normal. The strange thing about his reaction was that he didn’t seem the least bit shocked. It was almost as if…as if he had expected this outcome…

 _‘No.’_ Allura scolded herself, _‘Keith is an Earthling. He would know nothing of all this. I can’t start making baseless accusations just to find someone to blame.’_

With that thought in mind, Allura concluded that it would be best if they started to plan and prepare for attack as best as they could. The castle's defenses were not yet back online, but they should at least start thinking of what courses of actions they should take if it really come down to a conflict.

Unfortunately, as luck would have it, something else decided to interrupt that.

The control panel began to glow red and a shrill alarm began to blare, catching all in the room off guard. Keith actually let out a yell and his hands flew to his head, covering his ears with severe discomfort evident. Seeing this, Allura rushed to shut it off, and when she did, another shocking bit of news was presented to her.

"What was that?!" Keith demanded as he slowly removed his hands from his ears.

"It's the wormholes!" Allura exclaimed in response, "There's not enough power left! They're going to close any second!"

"What?!" Both Coran and Keith shouted in unison, which would have been comical if not for their situation.

"I need to call the paladins back at once!"

Allura threw up the communications systems that connected the castle to the lions, hurriedly sending her message to their pilots.

**"Paladins! Please return to the castle! I can't keep the wormholes open much longer!"**

She shut off communications immediately after she was sure the message was delivered, not wanting to waste even a pinch more power than was necessary. If she had, the wormholes may close a few ticks sooner, which may be the difference between the paladins safely returning or never being seen again.

"Will they make it back in time?!" Keith asked worriedly.

"We can only hope so." Allura replied, wishing and wishing there was more she could do to reassure him, as well as herself.

No one said any more, not even the mice who had peeked out from Allura's hair, watching the screens in agonizing suspense. Each tick of nothing felt like another year, and for a moment, Allura was worried her message wasn't sent clearly. A feeling of dread settled down on her. If the paladins didn't make it...

"Look!" Keith suddenly exclaimed, pointing up at the wormhole on the screen to Allura's left. At once, Allura felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

From one of the wormholes, the Green Lion burst into view, with the pod Shiro and Pidge had taken following closely behind them. A minute later, the Blue Lion flew out the other wormhole, with the Yellow Lion spiraling after it, quite literally, just as the wormhole closed.

The mice let out multiple squeaks of cheerful celebration. Allura took in a breath as the relief of seeing the paladins return safely calmed her. Beside her, Coran mimicked her actions, while Keith just closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead. At the back of her mind, Allura felt something familiar about the gesture, but at the moment, she was too happy to know the other Earthlings were all right.

The doors to the control room opened. Shiro and Pidge stepped in with rather relaxed, but at the same time exicted, expressions upon their faces.

"We did it Princess, we've retrieved the Green Lion." Shiro reported. Pidge smiled widely, holding his hand up with two fingers out in the shape of an open triangle (whatever it is that means, it at least seemed joyful).

"Well done Shiro, Pidge." Allura congratulated, just as the door opened again, with Lance and Hunk stumbling inside. They appeared to be far less relaxed than the first two, however, as they were both groaning and rubbing their arms and heads.

"I'm glad you all made it back safely." Allura told them, her hands clasped together over her chest. The mice shared her sentiments, each letting out squeaks of delight.

"Yeah just barely that was a nightmare," Lance complained as he rubbed his back with his arm, "I almost puked out there.”

“Hey at least you weren’t sent spinning in circles through the thing…” Hunk grumbled sourly. The blue mouse on Allura’s shoulder chirped in amusement, but was shushed by the pink one.

“Yeah, we had a tough time too.” Pidge said with a smirk, the cheeky smile on his face more than enough for Allura to know the intentions behind his words. Shiro gave him a smile, and Allura had to hide a grin herself.

Shiro then turned to her. “So, did we find the Red Lion yet?”

Allura’s face fell at once. Coran took it upon himself to deliver the news.

“We just located it a while ago actually.” He told them, “But there’s both good news and bad news. The good news is that the Red Lion is nearby. The bad news is, unfortunately, it’s on that Galra ship orbiting Arus. And we happen to be on Arus right now.”

“They’re here already?!” Shiro exclaimed. Coran frowned, looking slightly guilty.

“Yes, it seems my calculations were quite a bit off.” He admitted regretfully, sending a sideways glance at Keith, who hadn’t noticed, as he seemed to be watching the others. Allura frowned as well, both at Coran blaming himself, as well as having remembered his earlier reaction to the news. She quickly examined the other Earthlings’ faces, all of them were clearly shocked. So why wasn’t Keith…?

Before she could enlighten these thoughts with possible theories, however, the communications screen of the castle appeared behind her, and the image of an unfamiliar Galra official appeared on it. He seemed to be part of the mammalian sub-species, with large ears and purple fur. The most menacing feature she could see was the cybernetic eye that marred his face, which was set in a commanding scowl.

 **“Princess Allura,”** He spoke in a manner that indicated a sense of superiority and arrogance, **“this is Commander Sendak of the Galra Empire. I come on behalf of Emperor Zarkon, Lord of the Known Universe.”**

The rage that Allura had felt earlier had returned, and she clenched her fists tightly in an attempt to control it. The mice once again shared her emotions, and the red-eyed one began to hiss next to her left ear, while the rest moved closer to her neck, trying to soothe her. She was grateful, but it wasn’t enough to calm her down.

 **“I am here to confiscate the lions,”** Sendak continued threateningly, **“Turn them over to me, or I will destroy your planet.”**

He shut off communications as soon as he was finished delivering his message. Allura found herself gritting her teeth. It was one of those rare times in her life when she just wanted to break something. Had it not been for years of strict self-discipline as a princess, she may already have.

No one said anything for a moment, a tension in the air no one seemed willing to address. Allura knew she probably should say something, but she could not find words which not betray her emotional state of mind. Fortunately for her, Shiro eventually spoke up.

“All right, let’s not panic.” He said, but was unable to carry on before Hunk decided to, essentially, _panic_.

“‘Not panic’?” He repeated, “T-The scary purple alien thing is driving his battleship towards us, we only have four lions…”

“Technically only three working lions.” Pidge cut in, unhelpfully.

“That’s right, thank you Pidge.” Hunk continued with a hint of sarcasm, “So we have three working lions, and a castle that’s like ten thousand years old…”

“Actually it’s ten thousand six hundred years old.” Coran stated, giving Allura the sudden urge to clamp her hand over his mouth, “You see it was built by my grandfather…Mfft!”

Hunk shoved a finger at Coran’s face, effectively silencing him, “Thanks Coran, thank you for that. See, now is the perfect time to panic!!”

“Wait!” Allura interrupted, if only to try and control the situation before it got too out of hand, “This castle has a particle barrier we can activate! Coran and I were checking the castle systems and it appears to be in working condition!”

Lance made a strange comment before he was effectively silenced by Shiro, not that Allura understood its meaning (and by the looks of Shiro’s reaction, she probably didn’t _want_ to).

“Allura, I doubt we will have enough power for the barrier to hold back the Galra attacks for long.” Coran said as he turned to her, eyes now serious and concerned, “We almost didn’t have enough power to keep the wormholes open for as long as we thought, and the castle only just recharged enough for you to track the Red Lion mere minutes ago.”

“I don’t think that’s all you have to worry about.” Keith, to Allura’s surprise, pointed out, “You’ve been asleep for a long time. It’s also entirely possible the Galra had made use of that time and made advancements to their technology to counter yours.”

“Okay, that was a little harsh there mullet.” Lance responded. Keith shot him a glare, but said nothing. Allura was admittedly upset that Keith had been so blunt about it, but at the same time, he was right. She had failed to consider the factor of the time lost to her, Coran, and the mice. None of them had thought about it. She was starting to lose her grip on the situation, and it was scaring her.

“So can we panic now?” Hunk asked, slightly trembling in a clearly anxious state.

“No, we just gotta figure out our plan of action. And figure it out quickly.” Shiro told him.

“I say we pop through a wormhole and live to fight another day.” Lance suggested.

“I second that, yes.” Hunk agreed, “We tried to find all the lions in time but we failed. We only have three lions and we can’t form Voltron. I mean we could form a snake? Or…”

At this point, Hunk began to ramble, and Allura could feel her control slipping. She did not agree with running. It would not do. And yet…

“We can’t just abandon Arus!” Pidge suddenly yelled out, “The Galra will keep destroying planets and capturing the Galra until we stop them.”

“Okay, but maybe if we leave, they would follow us and leave this planet alone?” Hunk tried, and Keith seemed to have felt the need to speak against it.

“Sendak could destroy the planet and come after us anyway.” He stated firmly, “Staying is our only option if you don’t want to sacrifice this place.”

“Here’s an option,” Lance said with an irritated and mocking tone, “ _Shut your **quiznak**!”_

**_OH MY DEAR STARS WHAT?!_ **

Allura yelped at the ridiculously incorrect and profane use of the word, and Coran reeled back in disgust beside her, not that she could blame him. Surprisingly, Keith seemed to also share their sentiments, looking utterly scandalized and insulted.

“You’re not even using that word correctly!!” He shouted in fury, taking Allura aback with how certain he seemed, but the Earthlings began arguing before she could contemplate it.

“What do you know Mullet?!” Lance yelled back.

“Stop calling me that! And we’re staying!” Keith.

“Leaving!” Lance.

“Staying!” Pidge.

“Leaving!” Hunk.

“GUYS! STOP!” Shiro commanded, effectively silencing them all. He turned to the Allura as Keith and the rest turned away from one another in a huff.

“Princess Allura, these are your lions.” Shiro said, almost desperately, “You’ve dealt with the Galra Empire before. You know what we’re facing better than any of us. What do you think is the best course of action?”

Everyone turned to her expectantly. Immediately, Allura felt the pressure weighing down on her. She was now faced with the possibility to have to resort to running away from Arus. It was an awful choice, for it meant abandoning the lives of those on the planet. But at the same time, they were currently at their weakest state. There was a high chance they would not be able to fight back and win should the Galra launch a complete assault, especially with their deadline.

What…what should she do? Leave and ensure the chances of being able to fight back when they were definitely stronger? Or risk everything, and stand their ground? Abandon one planet to save others, or abandon them all if the risk proved too much for them to handle.

It was… _overwhelming._ Allura didn’t know. She didn’t know what to do. What was the right decision? What would be best for them, for the universe?

“I…I don’t know.” She finally confessed, looking down in shame at her indecisiveness. She was failing again. Failing to make the choice she needed to make, and unable to do anything about it.

“…Perhaps your father can help.”

At once, Allura pulled her gaze up to meet Coran’s, whose eyes held a look of understanding and sympathy. But, his words confused her.

“My…my father…?” She questioned. It was impossible after all. Her father was dead, along with everyone else. But Coran nodded, extending a hand to her, smiling reassuringly.

“May I ask that you please follow me?” He asked of her, “There is something I should’ve shown you right away I suppose.”

Allura looked at him. She looked at the Earthlings. Each and every one of them were counting on her to make a decision. The mice once again squeaked in support from her shoulders. She closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths.

There was a choice that needed to be made, but Allura could allow her emotions to overwhelm her to the point where she ended up making a rash decision that could cost them all dearly. Coran must have known this. Perhaps he knew of something her father had left behind that could help them. She trusted him, so she took his hand.

"All right Coran," Allura said as calmly as she could manage, "please lead the way."

**_XXX_ **

As Coran and Allura left the room, an awkward silence settled over everyone that remained behind. None of them made a move to follow the two Alteans, as it had been clear that whatever it was Coran wanted to show Allura, it was a private and delicate matter.

However, that meant that they were now left having to deal with the tense situation that was the unresolved argument among them.

Inwardly, Hunk sighed to himself. He knew it was irrational to think so, but he couldn't help but feel as if he brought forth the argument. His anxiety over the whole thing was really getting to him, and all he could think of was finding a way to escape the danger. He had been almost desperate.

Now, as everyone stood there, facing away from one another and saying nothing to each other, Hunk wanted to yell something. But he couldn't bring himself to, not wanting to possibly ignite another argument.

Hunk started fiddling with his thumbs. He glanced to his side, seeing Lance twitching and squirming. Nothing new there, Lance was always fidgeting, and with good reason. Not that it was Hunk's place to divulge the details.

Eventually, the silence was broken, and by Lance no less.

“Look guys, I’m…I’m sorry if I started a debate there.” He said, and all eyes were instantly on him. Out of the corner of his eye, Hunk noticed how Keith blinked at Lance, probably surprised by the apology, considering they were arguing the most. Shrugging it off, Hunk focused on his friend.

“I know there’s a chance the aliens might destroy this place,” Lance admitted, rubbing his arms anxiously, like he often did when stressed, “but I just don’t know if we can actually go up against them. And…I’m scared okay?”

“We’re all scared Lance, it’s not just you.” Pidge revealed, his shoulders slumping, “But we have to do something. Maybe it’s just me being self-righteous here, but I don’t want to be partly responsible for an entire planet’s destruction, even if it means risking everything.”

“Then you’re a lot braver than I am.” Lance replied, “I mean, I know I got lucky with the past two encounters with these guys, but what if it was just beginner’s luck? I wasn’t exactly the best pilot back at the Garrison Pidge. And these guys…they’re not holding back on us.”

“At least you were a pilot Lance.” Hunk joined in the conversation, “I only ever got the front seat of the simulator once, which was a disaster as you and Pidge may recall, and now I have to pilot a giant lion robot to help save the universe? I don’t think I can do it.”

He did believe those words, sadly enough. Hunk knew he now had a role to play, and he definitely understood where Pidge was coming from, but truthfully, Hunk had nothing but doubt regarding his own piloting skills. Engineering? Building machines? Cooking delicious meals? Yeah he was good at that stuff, but piloting? No way. He’d hardly managed to control the Yellow Lion when they got it earlier, while Lance was pretty much already used to being behind the wheel of the Blue Lion.

“Listen cadets,” Shiro started saying, “I know none of you have finished your training, and being thrown into all this has to be overwhelming, and I understand why you might all have reservations. But right now, we don’t have a choice, and we need to fight to move forward.”

He took a deep breath before carrying on with his speech.

“The lions chose us for a reason, and that has to mean something. We got this far by trusting in them, and while our experiences with them are limited, they haven’t let us down. I believe we can do something, at the very least. But whatever it is, we’ll trust Allura’s decision. Is that all right?”

Personally, Hunk was still extremely unsure, but Shiro was right about them no longer having a choice in the matter. They were stuck with this situation now, and if Hunk was honest with himself, a small part of him was urging him on as well. The bond he had felt with the Yellow Lion was real, and unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He wanted that experience to be made worthwhile.

Just…would he be able to achieve that?

“…You really think we’ll be able to pull it off Shiro?” Lance asked nervously, “You know, ‘ _whatever it is’_?”

“I’m sure we can if we work hard, and work together.” Shiro answered confidently, “Remember, ‘Patience Yields Focus’. We may have to rush into things, but if we can maintain our calm as we face our problems, we’ll be all right.”

Those words were rather motivating. Hunk wasn’t sure if he could do the ‘maintain calm’ part too well, but Shiro sounded so certain, so confident, he just couldn’t help but want to believe he was capable. Clearly, Lance and Pidge shared his sentiments, because all three of them ended up giving Shiro firm nods.

That was when Shiro seemed to notice something was off. He acknowledged their acceptance to his words, but a few seconds later, his focus moved to the last person in their group, who hadn’t said a word since their conversation started.

“Keith, you’ve been pretty quiet.” Shiro addressed, frowning slightly. Hunk turned to look at his mysterious new teammate, who stiffened upon having the attention drawn to him. A slight scowl appeared on his face, but he remained wordless.

“You’re not still thinking about not being able to pilot the Red Lion are you?” Shiro tried again. Hunk instantly saw Keith _literally_ go rigid, then he quickly turned away from them, which was answer enough for him and everyone else.

“Hey seriously?” Lance spoke up, that slight competitive edge in his tone from whenever he talked to Keith present, “The lions accepted all of us already. Why wouldn’t it choose you?”

“Yeah,” Hunk added, feeling the need to speak up as well, “the Yellow Lion even let _me_ pilot it, and like I said earlier, I’m not a pilot.”

Hunk was confused. As far as he was concerned, Keith had no reason to doubt his abilities. If the frightening chase they’d endured in the desert was anything to go by, Keith was probably the most qualified of them all. The way he’d controlled the hoverbike (which was still of unknown origin to the rest of them) was at the level of an expert, to escape multiple top military-grade Garrison vehicles using extremely dangerous and risky moves…Sure, it had Hunk panicking to the point where he’d almost passed out, but there was no doubting Keith’s skills as a potential pilot.

Keith, however, remained apprehensive and eerily silent. Even though Hunk couldn’t see his face right then, he could tell Keith was really uncomfortable, as if the topic at hand was enough to make him want to jump off another cliff. This time without the bike.

To say Hunk didn’t understand feelings like that would be no more than a blatant lie, as he’d had many experiences, but without knowing the reason for them, Hunk couldn’t find a way to sympathize with Keith. He felt bad for thinking so, but it was the truth.

Shiro approached Keith, reaching out and placing a hand, the one not replaced by weird alien tech, on his shoulder. Keith lightly flinched, but otherwise hardly reacted. It was starting to creep Hunk out.

“Keith, are you sure you don’t want to talk about these doubts of yours?” Shiro asked, unknowingly sparing Hunk from further creepiness. There was a pause, and then a sigh, and Keith turned back to look their leader in the eye, shoving the hand off his shoulder in the process.

“Shiro, you’d understand if you remembered anything about me.” He said bluntly, and Hunk didn’t need to see Shiro’s face to know that that was a harsh blow. Hunk himself was stunned at the cold tone Keith had adopted. Beside him, Lance and Pidge both stiffened as well. However, it turned out that Keith was just as horrified at what he’d just said.

“No, I’m sorry I just…” Keith tried rectifying the situation, bringing a hand to his face, “I…remember what I told you back at the shack? About how there were a lot of things I wanted to talk to you about?”

Hunk didn’t really understand what that meant, but Shiro did, for he nodded without a sound. Keith continued from there.

“I…I did a lot of things I regretted Shiro. I knew they were wrong, but I did them anyway. A lion of Voltron wouldn’t want to accept someone who didn’t even have the strength to walk away from things he didn’t believe in.”

Keith took a breath. Hunk furrowed his brow as his mind reeled. What…what on Earth could Keith had ever done that was so bad?

Then again, this was the same guy who had used explosives as a distraction, broken into a military facility, and carried a dagger with him everywhere. Hunk also recalled the conversation he, Lance, and Pidge had had the first night they stayed over in the shack, about their suspicions of Keith. In all the excitement, Hunk had forgotten _why_ they’d been suspicious.

There was a very real possibility Keith wasn’t who he claimed to be after all. Still, Hunk wasn’t going to bring it up, wanting to give the guy a chance before he jumped to false conclusions.

“Keith, look,” Shiro finally said to Keith, “I’m sorry I can’t remember you. I really am. But please, have some faith in yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, sometimes mistakes we can’t ever take back. But we can’t live in fear of what we’ve done wrong. We’ll might never be able to make up for some of them, but if we acknowledge them, maybe we can prevent them from ever happening again in the future, right?”

Keith didn’t look convinced. Hunk wasn’t either, but he got the feeling Shiro wasn’t entirely just talking about Keith. He was using _‘we’_ a lot, and Hunk guessed it was possible Shiro was talking about himself as well.

“You know, if it’s any consolation,” Pidge piped up, adjusting his glasses, “you’re technically the reason we even managed to find the Blue Lion, besides Hunk and me of course, Hunk mostly, with making the machine and all. Point is, if it weren’t for you, the universe may not even have had a chance to fight back against the Galra, so I think you should give yourself some credit.”

Keith blinked. Pidge shrugged. Hunk pushed down a slight inkling of pride and embarrassment at Pidge’s comment about him.

“Well…Pidge isn’t wrong so…besides, you definitely fit the ‘unstable instinct’ line perfectly.” Lance muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear, causing Keith to send him a momentary scowl at the mocking tone. Hunk saw through him though, it was clear Lance was actually trying to encourage Keith in his own way, but his pride would’ve never let him admit it. Hunk mentally sighed at his friend’s egoistical tendencies, but as usual, decided to let it slide, instead turning to Keith to at least offer some encouragement as well. It was the least he could do.

“I, I think so too,” He said truthfully and carefully, gauging Keith’s reaction, “I mean, you worked your bike-thing really well. You definitely have piloting skills. Plus you were out in the desert alone on a hunch so...”

The last part didn’t come out right, so Hunk just stopped talking. Fortunately, it seemed to suffice. Keith was looking at the three of them with another look of uncertainty, but at least he didn’t look as uncomfortable as he had a minute ago. Finally, he let out a groan.

“All right…I’ll…I’ll see what I can do.” He said begrudgingly. Hunk doubted Keith was a hundred percent on board, but it was a start.

Just then, the door to the main control room opened, and Allura stepped out, dressed in what looked to be a combat suit with her hair bundled up into a neat bun on her head. She stood with confidence and determination, her expression strong and firm. Behind her, Coran gave a proud smile. Seems like the decision was made.

“You five paladins were brought here for a reason.” Allura spoke with an air of a natural-born leader, “The Voltron lions are meant to be piloted by you, and you alone. We must fight, and keep fighting until we defeat Zarkon. It is our destiny. Voltron is the universe’s only hope. _We_ are the universe’s only hope.”

“We’re with you Princess,” Shiro told her firmly, leaving no room for arguments. Well, it seemed it was go-time, whether Hunk liked it or not.

Coran remained in the main control room to fix things up, so Allura was the one to lead them to the armory, where five battle suits resembling the Princess’s own stood within five pods, each of them white with coloured accents that matched its lion. Gasps of awe were heard as each one of them approached their assigned suit, but Hunk couldn’t help raise an eyebrow in disappointment when he saw his.

It looked…skinny. His stomach dropped. As if he hadn’t had enough issues with finding clothes big enough for him without being ridiculed.

“Um, Allura?” He called nervously, feeling a little like an idiot, “I don’t think this is my size, exactly…”

Hunk was certain he noticed Lance look over at him in concern, but he didn’t want to meet his friend’s gaze and confirm it. It felt stupid to be worried about something so trivial but…

“Not to worry Hunk.” Allura said gently, but not pitying, “All the suits are designed to fit anyone of any size, shape, and species. After all, we’ve had paladins of all kinds, so it would’ve been ridiculously foolish to create an armor that only fit one size.”

“Really?” Hunk asked in semi-disbelief. Allura assured him with a smile and nod, and Hunk couldn’t help smiling back. Jeez, the fashion industry back on Earth needed to start thinking like that. Hunk looked over at Lance then, who returned the gesture with a toothy grin and a thumbs-up.

“Okay. Boys, it’s time to suit up.” Shiro announced after a few seconds. The others let out excited chirps, and Allura released the locks. Each one of them stepped into their respective pods to get changed. A one-piece black undersuit made out of strong military-grade fibers went on first, and the strong but light white pieces of the armor went over it. Hunk was amazed at the technology, Allura hadn’t been kidding when she said it fit anyone. The thing seemed to already know his size from the moment he touched it, and adjusted itself accordingly. It wasn’t any tighter than it should’ve been, and was actually a lot more comfortable than Hunk had expected it to be. Okay, whatever was in this suit, Hunk had to know. Maybe Allura would let him study it sometime. He could turn it into a bonding session with Pidge as well.

The helmet was a little bit stiff, but that wasn’t a major problem. It was probably an extra safety measure.

A short while later, Hunk stepped out of his changing pod along with the others, standing with them and facing Allura, who nodded in approval as she activated the panel in front of her. It glowed, and four small devices appeared on it, each one in a colour matching their respective suits. Shiro’s, however, seemed to be missing for some reason.

“The bayard is the traditional weapon of the Paladins of Voltron.” Allura explained as the devices, the bayards, flew to each of them, “It takes a distinct shape for each paladin.”

The moment Hunk’s fingers closed around the handle of the yellow bayard, it instantly transformed into a large blaster cannon, heavy enough to almost cause him to stumble. It startled him a bit, but after he stabilized himself by supporting the weapon with his other hand, he had to admit it was extremely cool.

He looked over at the others, where Keith stood with an impressive looking red and white double-edged sword, and a shield made of blue energy on his other arm. Lance carried what looked to be a large blue and white laser gun, and Pidge was swinging around a small, strange weapon, which had a green blade shaped like an arrowhead.

“Aw you got a cute little bayard.” Lance’s mocking tone came, only to be followed by a scream of pain when Pidge, with a triumph smirk on her face, electrocuted him with her own weapon, which seemed to have taser-like properties.

Hunk couldn’t help having to stifle a laugh at Lance’s ungraceful position on the floor though.

“I’m sorry Shiro,” Hunk then heard Allura say, “but I’m afraid your bayard was lost along with its paladin.”

“I guess I’ll just have to make do.” Shiro shrugged nonchalantly. So Shiro was going to have to go in without a weapon? That would be a massive risk. Keith seemed to think so too, for he was glaring at Shiro rather intently. Hunk decided against commenting on it.

They left the armory after that, stowing their bayards away as they did. Hunk walked close to Lance, like they always had. Shiro, Pidge, and Allura were talking about something regarding tracking and communication functions, but Hunk couldn’t really make it out. He’d probably ask Pidge later. It seemed interesting.

“Hey Hunk?” Lance suddenly whispered, “Is it just me, or is Keith intentionally walking slower than the rest of us?”

Hunk raised his eyebrows, and subtly glanced behind them. Lance was right, Keith was trailing behind, staring at the floor the whole time as they walked. He hadn’t seemed to have heard Lance’s comment either.

“No, he’s walking slower for sure.” Hunk whispered back, throwing quick glances to see if Keith noticed. He didn’t. “Should we talk to him?”

“I don’t know, I still feel kinda weird around that guy.”

“Yeah me too, but I don’t really want to isolate him either.”

“I know…but…”

At that, Lance bit his lip as he calmed up. They both knew a thing or two about isolation after all, but the idea of approaching Keith was…intimidating. Hunk wasn’t sure how they’d manage. In the end, they just got to the control room without taking any action, which made Hunk feel somewhat bad, but there wasn’t much else he could do.

Coran greeted their return with a large holographic screen displaying a rough blueprint of Sendak’s ship, indicating basic details like the location of the hangar, the cockpit, and the ion cannon that was mentioned earlier.

“So, how are we going to know where the Red Lion is?” Hunk asked, slightly put off, “It looks like a pretty big ship.”

“Well, I’m sure once we get Keith inside, he’ll be able to feel the lion’s presence like the rest of us did.” Pidge offered, giving Keith an encouraging smile.

“Yeah,” Lance added, “You know how you said you felt that crazy energy while we were in the desert that led us to the Blue Lion? Turns out it’s just like that.”

Keith merely glared at Lance for whatever reason.

“Keith,” Allura addressed him, “Remember, you will have to earn the respect of this lion. But do not fear. I know you have concerns, but I am sure you have what it takes to pilot it.”

Keith _still_ didn’t look convinced, but nodded anyway. Hunk gulped.

“All right, here’s our plan of attack.” Shiro proclaimed as he faced them all. The plan was simple; bait the Sendak with the Blue and Yellow Lions, but sneak on board their ship through the Green Lion, which the Galra were unaware of. It sounded easy enough, but Hunk’s anxiety began to nag at him again. There were a lot of things that could go wrong. The fear of those possibilities were stirring up in his gut again.

Minutes later, Hunk found himself swinging down to the Yellow Lion's hangar, preparing to be thrown into a situation more stressful than anything the Garrison could've provided him. It terrified him. It really, really, terrified him. But Hunk didn't want to let anyone down. He couldn't afford to. The universe was at stake after all, right?

Still, that didn't stop the traitorous part of his mind from listing out every possible way things could go wrong in great detail.

The list was dreadfully long, ranging from being shot down and tumbling helplessly into a black hole to getting captured and tortured by the evil purple aliens. Half of the list was stupidly irrational, but the other half was unfortunately logical and considerably more realistic.

Hunk grimaced as he landed in the Yellow Lion's cockpit. Curse his natural tendencies to over-examine everything. His hands were shaking, and he was starting to feel the worries slowly turn into mild panic as he began working the controls. He hardly paid attention to what he was doing, he just did it, not really daring to focus for fear of his anxiety becoming a hindrance.

Suddenly, a small screen popped up next to him, and Lance’s face appeared on it.

 **“Hey Hunk, you doing okay?”** Lance asked, speaking in a more reserved and sincere manner, which he only saved for more serious moments.

“No…not so much…” Hunk confessed, “I just don’t know what could go wrong, and I…”

**“Hey hey, you’re okay. You’re okay. Remember you’re not going in alone. Besides, your lion is basically a super space tank. You’ll be fine. And you have me backing you up. It’ll just like when we went to get the Yellow Lion. You’ll be fine, I promise.”**

Hunk smiled. Truthfully, Lance’s encouragements often didn’t do much to help his anxiety, but it did at least calm him down enough for him to function. It was nice, knowing that there was someone watching out for him, despite everything else.

“Thanks Lance.” He said, and Lance grinned broadly.

 **“That’s what friends are for buddy.”** He replied with a salute, **“Now what do you say we go keep some Galra goons busy?”**

“Well, I guess we should get it over with, right?”

**“Right. Let’s go Hunk!”**

Pep talk over, Hunk launched the Yellow Lion out of the hangar. He flew out the castle, circling it once to get the hang of basic flying, as well as to hopefully bring down his jittery nerves a little more. Turns out piloting the Yellow Lion was a lot easier than the Garrison simulator. The Blue Lion joined them in the air a moment later, hovering around the Yellow Lion for a second before they both took off to greet the Galra.

 **“Well, here goes nothing. Let’s do our best.”** Lance said, to which Hunk only gave an approving grunt. This was it. Here they go…

They carefully approached the Galra ship, trying their best to look as non-threatening as possible. As they approached, the maintained their communications link between one another, but kept it private so the Galra ship wouldn’t pick up on any conversations. Just as they got to the front of the ship, Lance broadcasted their decoy message.

**“Attention Galra ship! Do not fire! We’re surrendering our lions!”**

Hunk gulped, his hands beginning to shake again. Lance didn’t say anything to him, likely because he was still connected to the Galra’s communications. Hunk wondered if the others had gone in yet. He couldn’t see them from where they were, which was kinda the point really, but it worried him. What if the ship had cameras or something below? Would they run into trouble while inside?

Hunk violently shook his head. No, no time for that. No.

His grip on the control levers tightened as he forced himself to calm down. He couldn’t lose it now. Not now. Not now. Not now.

 **“Hunk…Hunk calm down.”** Lance’s voice came in a whisper through the comms, **“The others will be okay. Just trust them and you’ll be fine.”**

Oh man, what did Hunk ever do to deserve this guy?

“Yeah okay…okay.” Hunk replied, taking a few deep breaths and mentally counting down from ten. Breathe. Calm…calm. Okay. He was okay.

 **“Okay I’ve cut off communications with the Galra. If you want to check in with the others, now’s the chance.”** Lance informed. Hunk let out another breath before he gave Lance a nod and proceeded to do just that.

“Pidge, how’s everything on your side?” Hunk asked. Unlike with Lance, Pidge didn’t get a screen display of his face. All Hunk had was Pidge’s voice from hidden speakers, so he couldn’t see what was going on inside. Luckily, Pidge was able to respond without issue.

**“We’re in. Looks like some kinda generator room. What about you guys?”**

**“They’re opening some doors in front of us. Not sure what that means.”** Lance reported, some of his own nervousness present in his voice.

 **“Whatever it is, you two be careful.”** Shiro’s voice came, **“If there’s any sign of danger…”**

“…We get out of the way and try to take out their means on attack.” Hunk finished, reciting the plan they’d discussed.

 **“Don’t worry Shiro, we’ll be fine.”** Lance assured, **“You guys just focus on getting the Red Lion so we don’t have to stay out too long okay?”**

 **“Sure. Good luck guys.”** Pidge answered that one. With that, communications between them all were cut off, save for Lance and Hunk’s connection. Hunk looked back to the front, and immediately noticed a small glow coming from inside those doors Lance mentioned. It was getting bigger…and brighter…oh no…!

“Lance we need to move!!” Hunk exclaimed, recognizing a charging beam when he saw one.

 **“All right let’s go!”** Lance replied without a moment’s hesitation, and the two of them simultaneously slammed down on the controls, blasting themselves far away from the unknown, ominous purple beam. Clearly, the Galra didn’t take that too well. Multiple smaller crafts shot out from the main one all at once, ready to engage them.

 **“Hunk!”** Lance called, **“You dismantle the ion cannon while I take these jerks on a space ride!”**

“Ten four!” Hunk exclaimed in response. All right, here’s where things get trickier. Time to forget everything and just go for it!

Flipping a switch, he shot back towards the main ship, spinning and dodging as many of the multiple lasers being shot at them. He yelped when he got scrapped a bit, but to his relief and delight, the shot hadn’t even slowed him down. That’s right, the Yellow Lion’s armor was almost impenetrable. Maybe he could take advantage of that.

He just hoped things wouldn’t blow up in his face.

Gritting his teeth, Hunk activated the thrusters and rushed straight at the ion cannon, hoping the impact would be enough to smash the cannon enough for it to stop functioning. What he didn’t expect was to be thrown back by a powerful invisible force.

“Woahhhhh!” He yelled as he was sent spinning. He quickly tried to pull the Yellow Lion back into a stable position. The lion responded to his thoughts, and they soon slowed to a gentle glide as Hunk looked below him. Around the ion cannon, a force field of purple energy was up. It looked similar to the ones that had surrounded the Blue and Yellow Lions, the only visible differences being the colour and pattern of the particles.

“What the _quiznak_ …?” Hunk muttered in confusion, with a hint of frustration. The barrier faded away, but Hunk knew there was a high chance it wasn’t gone. He turned back to face it, pushing a few buttons. A blast of energy shot out of the Yellow Lion’s mouth, hitting the barrier, which was definitely still there. Like before, it appeared for a moment, but disappeared soon after Hunk stopped his attack. Just then, at least four of the smaller Galra crafts appeared behind him.

“Darn it!” Hunk exclaimed as he shot upwards, barely dodging the lasers. His fingers tightened on the controls again as he went crazy at the controls. He flew under a wing-thing of the main ship, turning into a straight ascent right after, throwing one of the crafts off course a little. He faced them, shooting blasts of his own at them, which was extremely difficult which how chaotic their flying was.

At this point, Hunk was beginning to feel the panic setting in. His body seemed to go cold, and his fingers were going numb. They were really shooting at him. They were really trying to take him out. This wasn’t a simulation. It was really happening.

There was a chance Hunk may not survive.

That thought was a mistake. Hunk’s body frozen against his will, and he stopped working the controls. The Yellow Lion slowed to a halt, and the Galra crafts were closing in, but Hunk…Hunk couldn’t figure out what to do. He wanted to run, get out of the situation, but there was no way he’d make it.

He couldn’t do this…he couldn’t…he…

Then, a warm, gentle sensation flooded his mind, catching him off guard. A low, soothing hum was heard, and Hunk suddenly got the distinct feeling of how everything was going to be okay. He blinked, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, and looked around him.

It was the Yellow Lion. It…it was assuring him. That’s right…the Yellow Lion was with him too. He wasn’t alone. How had he forgotten that?

Another pulse of warm energy came, the Yellow Lion letting him know it would protect him, so he could fight without fear. That they would both make it through this. That they could both do it.

Hunk was immediately emotional. His lion was taking the time to comfort him, despite the danger outside. It knew of his worries, and wanted to make sure he was all right to continue. In a way, the Yellow Lion reminded Hunk of his mother, as well as Lance during his more serious moments. His mother had been his support all his life, the one who taught him the joys of cooking and engineering, which had become his source of relaxation and escape from stressful situations. When he went to study at the Garrison, Lance had taken over the support role, but he was also someone who Hunk wanted to support through his own hardships, the one who taught Hunk what it meant to support someone else. And now, the Yellow Lion was taking on his burdens as well.

“Thanks for the support.” Hunk whispered, a slight wetness in his eyes, “Sorry about stopping. Let’s do this.”

A feeling of relief and celebration washed over him, the Yellow Lion’s response. Hunk pushed down a lever and flew forth, a newfound confidence stirring in him like he had never felt before. Working closely with the Yellow Lion, Hunk fired blast after blast at the Galra crafts. His adrenaline was at its peak, and he pushed down any lingering anxiety.

Just then, the Blue Lion flew at him, joining him in shooting back at the crafts.

 **“I got ya covered buddy!”** Lance yelled, **“Let’s hurry so you can finish off that ion cannon!”**

“Got it Lance!” Hunk yelled back. They shot several blasts from their lions, most of which missed because the crafts had ridiculous agility, but those they did hit were down for the count. Eventually, the surviving crafts were forced back enough to create an opening.

 **“Hunk I can handle the rest! Go get the cannon!”** Lance shouted into the comm.

“The cannon is surrounded by a force field! I don’t know if I can!”

**“Sure you can! Just work that big brain of yours! Just hurry because these guys are really starting to get annoying!”**

“All right here goes nothing!”

Hunk sped back to the main ship again. He decided against using blunt force on the force field again, since he knew that would only send him on an uncomfortable spin again, which he’d rather avoid. But what else could he do…?

Come on, think. What could he do to overcome a barrier that was made of energy and only visible upon contact? He circled it as he thought, keeping his guard up so he didn’t get ambushed again, occasionally firing at a few crafts as well. When he fired his lion’s blast though, he noticed something about it.

A lightbulb lit up in his head. The concentrated energy blasts from his lion, of course! By focusing a high-powered blast into one spot, he might just be able to overwhelm the force field and shatter it long enough for him to get inside!

“Well, here goes nothing!” Hunk proclaimed, hitting a switch to charge up his lion’s blaster. Fortunately, it took only a few seconds. The clear blue beam, crackling with power, slammed into the surface of the force field, Hunk maintaining it as long as he could.

“Come on…come on!” Hunk urged, trying to maximize the output. His plan paid off, and the beam cracked the force field, finally forcing it to disperse into loose particles. Hunk let out a quick cheer before he dove in at high speeds. He braced himself as he sent the Yellow Lion charging straight at the ion cannon, ramming into the dense metal. The collision shook everything, almost making Hunk lose control, but he managed to push off and land on the main ship’s hull to examine his work. Hunk smiled when he saw the cannon was dented quite a bit. Not as much as he had wanted, but he had managed to at least block the barrel of it, and it shouldn’t be easy to repair quickly.

“Phew. That wasn’t too bad!” He exclaimed, feeling a small sense of pride.

Then, his helmet communicator buzzed. To Hunk’s surprise, Shiro’s voice came through.

 **“Keith?! Keith what’s wrong?”** Shiro called, clearly concerned. Keith didn’t answer for a moment, and Hunk wondered by Shiro would immediately think something was wrong.

 **“Guys…”** Keith said softly **, “I’ll need you to come to the ship’s cargo hold. I found the Red Lion.”**

Instantly, Hunk frowned. Something wasn’t right…Keith sounded…

 **“All right! But it’s kinda hard for us to get in with them shooting at us, so you mind meeting us outside instead?!”** Lance’s voice exclaimed, seeming to have missed the solemn tone. Hunk glanced at Lance’s screen, and he seemed preoccupied with the crafts. Hunk was prepared to go and help, but Keith’s next words stopped him.

**“…I can’t meet you outside. The lion…The lion’s not responding to me. You’ll need to come pick it up.”**

Dead silence fell. Hunk felt his gut wrenching as a chill ran down his spine. What…? The Red Lion…rejected Keith…?

“K-Keith…?” Hunk muttered, wanting an explanation at once, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

 **“Keith are…are you okay…?”** Pidge asked cautiously.

 **“…I told you guys didn’t I? The lion was never going to accept me.”** Keith told them as he cut off the line, leaving only static left.

Hunk didn’t know what to feel anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...I guess I can reveal where the inspiration for the fic came from now LOL. A friend and I were discussing about how they seemed to rely on Voltron as a whole, so naturally I had to tear the ability to form Voltron completely away from them. Also to cause a lot of angst. Haha.


	4. Secrets and Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I attempt to write an action chapter which turned out better than expected. Pidge and Shiro's chapter. Also, you guys get a treat at the end. 
> 
> Chapter is dedicated to Mikiri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but for real this chapter was really fun to write, I almost didn't stop writing for quite a bit at one point. Also, I finally have a beta reader, her username is Mikiri! 
> 
> Mikiri has been a great help with the editing process, and is basically one of the reasons the chapter turned out so well. So, as a major thanks to her and to mark the first chapter to be properly beta-read (in my entire fanfiction history probably), I've dedicated this chapter to this fantastic person. Thank you!
> 
> EDIT AN HOUR AFTER THIS CHAPTER WAS POSTED: Thanks to the readers for noticing the weird paragraph fusions happening there! Sorry for the confusion and I'll keep an eye out from them next time.

Pidge wasn't sure what to think when she heard Keith's words through the communicator. When he first said the lion didn't respond to him, she was...shocked to say the least, but Keith's last sentence...it broke her heart.

Keith just sounded so...defeated. Like he was resigned to this fate, and he'd already accepted it. Pidge didn't understand. She didn't understand at all. And she hated that.

She didn’t know Keith. None of them really did. But she was sure the rejection of the lion was a painfully heavy blow. After all, she felt the bond with the Green Lion, and it was…amazing. She had felt like she was trusted, and could conquer anything. To be denied that, well, it wasn’t a position she wanted to be in.

Pidge glanced over at Shiro, who stood there, looking so…so…she couldn’t really describe how he looked. Shocked, for one, but also guilty, sad, and just lost all at once. Shiro was supposed to be the only one who knew Keith, but even he couldn’t remember what had happened between them before the Kerberos mission. And yet…

“Shiro…?” Pidge asked, knowing she had to watch her words. She was treading on thin ice here. Shiro looked over at her, and Pidge suddenly felt as if she would put a word to his expression. He was **_devastated_ **.

“Shiro?” She asked again, a shiver running down her spine from seeing that face, which seemed so out of place from what she had ever known about Shiro. She remembered her father and brother talking about him, about how he was always this bright and enthusiastic guy who was always ready to help out and take charge. She had seen his leadership skills, and just minutes ago, witnessed his abilities in combat after his prosthetic arm acted up, as well as how respected he seemed to be around those alien prisoners.

But now? Now the man looked haunted, a ghost of what she’d seen and known. Was this just because of Keith, or was there something else?

He wasn’t answering her, just staring. It was chilling, and Pidge wasn’t sure she could take much more of it. Her new robot friend, who she called Rover, beeped at her and nudged her arm. Right. They had to move.

“Shiro,” She tried again, reaching a hand out as if to grab his arm, but just barely stopping short of doing so, “Shiro we have to go.”

That seemed to get his attention, and he managed a shaky nod. It wasn’t what Pidge had been hoping for, but she had to take it. She looked back over her shoulder one last time, to see if the other prisoners had already escaped in the pod, before she and Shiro began to run back to where she had parked the Green Lion, Rover floating close by.

“Will you be okay Shiro?” Pidge tried coaxing her teammate for words once more, and fortunately, this time he was coherent enough to reply.

“I…I don’t know Pidge,” Shiro admitted, still looking unbearably vulnerable, “I just…I’m worried about Keith…I said all that stuff…told him it was okay, and yet…”

“It’s not your fault.” Pidge told him firmly, leaving no room for argument in her tone, “If you’re talking about falsely encouraging him, then we’re all guilty. We all told him he could do it, despite him saying otherwise. And that backfired on all of us. Not just you.”

“But I don’t understand, why didn’t the Red Lion respond to him? Why wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t get it either, but we can’t worry about that right now. I’m worried too Shiro, but we need to get him and the Red Lion out of here as soon as we can.”

“You’re…you’re right. We’ll figure this out later.” Shiro conceded.

They finally got back to the room they had entered from, but apparently some of those robot patrol guards had decided to check the area. Pidge and Shiro found themselves getting shot at with weird purple laser blasts. Both threw up their shields at once.

“Dammit!” Shiro cursed, “We don’t have time for this!”

He charged forward, ignoring Pidge’s shouts to be careful while she ducked behind the base of an energy pillar, snatching Rover with her as she did so. His prosthetic arm began to glow again, and he dropped his shield when he was close enough to strike at them. He seemed to be getting reckless, which seemed extremely out of character. Again, Pidge wondered for a moment if it was because of Keith. 

There were quite a few of the guards, however, and Pidge realized they would not make it through so easily, even with Shiro's impressive combat skills. She wasn’t exactly a seasoned combatant like her teammate was.

She summoned her bayard as she did a quick examination of her surroundings, trying to see if there was anything she could use. There were plenty of pillars of purple lightning around, and her bayard had electrocution properties.

A plan began formulating in her head.

“Hey Shiro!” Pidge called out, rushing out from her shelter, "Do me a favour and cover my back!"

She ran straight into the frenzy, Rover following quickly, past Shiro who was fighting off at least five guards.

"Pidge what are you doing?!" Shiro shouted in concern.

"Just trust me!" Pidge yelled back as she stabbed her bayard into the chest of a guard attempting to halt her actions, effectively short-circuiting it. She ducked a few more blasts, and a few swings of blasters, turning a few quick strikes of her own, before she got to the perfect spot.

Right in the middle of the blaster crowd.

"Pidge?!" Shiro exclaimed, clearly frantic. Pidge had to admit it was heart wrenching to see him so worried, especially since he wasn't in the best emotional state at the moment, but she could only hope he would forgive her for not sharing the plan.

After all, she wasn't 100% sure this would work either. It was just all she had at the moment.

Pidge sprang right into her plan, literally, jumping onto the nearest guard's shoulders, which was only slightly more difficult than jumping on Shiro's shoulders like she did back on the Green Lion's planet. She kicked off that one, using the momentum to sending it crashing into the one next to it, creating a domino effect as the two proceeded to crash into the others as well, and so on.

It was almost amusing if she weren't so freaked out. Hey, she didn't exactly have experience fighting alien robots. Of course she was out of her comfort zone. But that didn't quite matter at the moment.

Pidge worked fast to make as much use of the disorder she had caused among the crowd. Rover flew overhead, headbutting a few of the guards who recovered faster, for which she was grateful, but she could thank the little guy later.

Pidge jumped up again, this time using a guard as a springboard to send herself flying towards one of the closest pillars of purple electricity.

Oh man, she prayed this would work out for her.

She swiped at the purple electricity, internally cringing at Shiro's scream of protest as well as the painful jolt that was sent coursing through her body upon contact. However, her bayard did what she'd hoped, and absorbed the energy. All she had to do now was to release it.

She forced her body to make a 180 degree turn in mid air as she swung her bayard out, the green blade shooting out like a grappling hook, jamming itself into the metallic body of one of the guards. Pidge pressed a button on her bayard, and chaos broke out.

A massive surge of green and purple electricity engulfed the guards, and since they were trapped in a huge pile together, the electricity rushed through each of them through their metal bodies, causing multiple overloads.

However, Pidge didn't have the chance to measure the energy output of her attack. Unfortunately, she had underestimated the amount of electricity she had absorbed, and it came back to bite her in the butt.

There was too much energy for the robots to contain. Almost immediately after Pidge released the electricity into the pile, one of them exploded from the overload, causing a chain reaction within the rest. The force of the explosion wasn't too severe, but it was enough to send Pidge, who had yet to land safely on the floor, straight over the edge of the bridge, with Shiro screaming her name in horror.

Pidge herself screamed as she plunged downwards, her bayard retracting. She had to react fast or she was dead meat! She threw her arm out and sent the bayard's blade out again, just praying it would reached the railing and pull her to safety.

 _'Please reach please reach please reach!'_ She thought frantically as the railing seemed to move further and further away from her.

It seemed like it wouldn't make it. But to Pidge’s amazement, Rover appeared over the edge and dove down just enough for the bayard to wrap around him instead. The stop was sudden and jerky, but Pidge had never been more relieved.

Turns out Rover was extremely strong for such a tiny security robot. It was a bit slow, but the little guy was able to pull her all the way back up to the bridge, where she collapsed from the stress.

"Thanks a lot Rover!" She exclaimed as she pulled the little guy over for a quick hug. The mini robot had just saved her from the most terrifying moment of her life. She loved him. She loved him so much. Rover beeped what sounded like a happy response.

"Pidge!! Pidge are you all right?!" Shiro yelled as he rushed to her side and dropped to his knees next to her, "What, what were you thinking?!"

"Ahaha, sorry Shiro," Pidge chuckled nervously, "my calculations were a little off there. I'll be more careful next time, I promise."

Shiro looked like he wanted to scold her more, but decided to leave it with a resigned sigh.

"Fine. At least you took down most of these guys." He said instead, "Come on, we should get moving."

Shiro offered a hand to help her stand, which she took with a smile of thanks. "Yeah let's go."

Using their jetpacks, they flew back to their exit, Rover still held tightly in Pidge’s arms. In hindsight, she probably could've used the jetpack to save herself earlier, but she had forgotten it in her panic. The thought did nothing to calm her fear.

For a moment, she thought about what would've happened if the little guy hadn't been there. She would've definitely fallen to her death. There was a tremble in her arms as she thought this. This was scarier than she thought it would be.

She thought of her dad and Matt, and her heart sank. Where were they? Were they going through the same kind of terror she felt right now? She certainly hoped not.

They entered the Green Lion, where Pidge tried contacting Keith again, at the very least hoping he would at least tell her the directions to the cargo hold, but there was no response, just static in her ear. When she tried speaking, all she would hear was a broken echo of her own voice. This greatly unsettled her. She definitely had a bad feeling about this.

Pidge decided her best option was to have Rover bring up a holographic blueprint of the ship, and since Rover was Galra tech, its blueprint was far more detailed than the one Coran had showed them back in the castle.

Problem was, it was written in some strange Galran language.

“Oh great,” Pidge hissed, “which one’s the cargo hold?!”

Her eyes scanned the blueprint for what could've been their desired destination, be if she made a mistake in guessing it would be a disaster for them, and she, for one, was not willing to get into another life-or-death fight again so soon.

"Wait a moment, I think I can read this..." Shiro revealed suddenly, surprising Pidge.

"You can?!" She exclaimed in disbelief. Shiro nodded, looking closely at the blueprint.

"The Galra don't have an extensively difficult language," He explained, "since Zarkon needed even the lowest ranks to be able to learn to easily so they could read any orders given out to them."

He pointed out a space in the back of the ship. "Here is it, the cargo hold."

Pidge stared at him. What in the name of...

"Shiro...weren't you a prisoner?" She asked him cautiously. He seemed taken aback by her question.

"I mean, how would you know all that? I didn't think the Galra would give prisoners the luxury of learning their language." She clarified. Shiro's eyes widened at this, and he immediately looked perplexed.

"I...I don't know." He told her, "You're right, they wouldn't have told me. Why do I..."

He trailed off, leaving a slight ominous tension in the cockpit of the Green Lion. Pidge had to admit she felt suspicious. Why would Shiro have such knowledge?

However, she knew it wasn’t the time to contemplate this. They were seriously running out of time. She started the Green Lion's engines and they took off.

Pidge decided to check in with the others, at the very least to find something to distract her invasive thoughts with. She turned on the lion's communicator.

"Lance, Hunk, how are you holding up?" She asked her other two teammates.

 **"Not very good!"** Hunk responded first, **"We managed to take out the ion canon for now, but there are too many other ships shooting at us!"**

 **"Yeah! We might not be able to keep this up so could you please hurry?!"** Lance added.

"Understood." Shiro told them, "We'll be going to retrieve the Red Lion and Keith now, so please hang in there for a little longer."

 **“All right, but we don’t know how** ** _much_** **longer we can hold it!”** Lance called back, yelling as he seemed to take a hit.

“Lance!” Pidge and Shiro both exclaimed in shock and worry.

 **“I’m okay, just got a little thrown off. Just go!”** Lance shouted back as communications were cut. Pidge grit her teeth, pushing down the controls of the lion, activating the thrusters to send them straight to the area Shiro pointed out. She took them right to the back of the ship and spotted a set of large, dark jagged doors.

“That must be it. Let’s get in.” Shiro said, and Pidge only narrowed her eyes at the doors before she shot a blast of energy from the Green Lion, ripping a hole in the space where the doors were, forgoing any caution. Time was not a luxury they would afford, so they had to sacrifice stealth now.

The Green Lion flew straight in and sure enough, the Red Lion sat there, still contained in the force field, completely motionless. However, Keith was nowhere to be seen.

“Where…Where’s Keith?!” Shiro’s voice wavered, and Pidge couldn’t give him an answer, but she noticed something unusual hanging on a control panel in front of the Red Lion. Without thinking much of it, she parked the Green Lion inside the cargo hold, making sure to sink its claws into the floor to prevent being sucked out of the giant hole she had created.

Telling Shiro to wait for her in the cockpit, Pidge ran down to the mouth of the Green Lion as it opened enough for her to see the outside, taking care not to actually step out of it. She saw it then, Keith’s paladin helmet, hanging off a sharp corner of the panel, threatening to wriggle free and disappear into the emptiness of space if it came loose. Pidge couldn’t let that happen.

She quickly summoned her bayard and let it fly, and the blade collided with the helmet, somehow hooking itself under the helmet’s face shield. Pidge sharply tugged the string back, dragging both her bayard blade and the red helmet back to her. She caught the helmet in her hand as her bayard retracted, and her stomach dropped as she stared at it.

The helmet’s face shield was cracked, and there was a slight dent in the side of it. Not a good sign. Pidge looked up at the Red Lion again.

Why? Why didn’t it accept Keith? What was wrong with him? What made him unsuitable to be its pilot?

Pidge winced, not wanting to think about it anymore. She tucked the helmet into her arm and ran back upwards into the cockpit. Shiro stood there with an anxious expression on his face, and Pidge wordlessly handed him Keith’s helmet, watching his reactions closely.

Shiro’s reactions were instantaneous. His dark grey eyes widened fearfully, and his lips pressed into a thin line. Pidge didn’t know what to say at all, concerned that whatever left her mouth would only make the situation worse. She wasn’t the most sensitive person out there after all.

Pidge had to wonder what exactly the relationship between Keith and Shiro was. With one half of them seemingly having no memory of the other, it was difficult to determine. Keith seemed to care for Shiro, but Pidge couldn’t tell if it was out of obligation, admiration, friendship, or something else entirely. Shiro on the other hand, only seemed to have a sense of knowing Keith from somewhere, but nothing more than that.

Pidge wanted to know them.

She wanted to know more about Shiro, who her dad and Matt always talked about in such a high regard. She wanted to know the person before the Kerberos mission, the one who left Earth with her family, the one who they blamed for the failure of the mission.

She wanted to know about Keith, who apparently survived out in the desert alone for who knows how long. She wanted to know why he was so willing to risk so much and break into a Garrison-restricted site for Shiro’s sake, why he was so sure the Red Lion wouldn’t accept him, and why that turned out to be true.

Pidge was like the Green Lion, she was inquisitive. She wanted to know things, and now, she really wanted to know more about her newest teammates.

However, the sound of an explosion outside once again reminded her of their lack of time. It also seemed to be what snapped Shiro out of his stupor.

“…Pidge I have to find him.” He said, more of a definite statement rather than a hopeful suggestion.

“…I know you do.” Pidge responded, being in no position to deny him that request when she did the same thing not long ago, “I’ll take the Red Lion back first. You and Keith take an escape pod out if I don’t come back in time for you.”

“Thank you Pidge.” Shiro said, giving her a grateful smile. Pidge nodded, taking to the controls. After all, Shiro couldn’t just step into a de-pressurized cargo hold without some help.

The Green Lion reared up and Pidge used its massive metal claws to rip a new opening where the smaller doorway leading to the hallway was.

“Shiro! Take Rover with you!” Pidge called at the last second before Shiro started to alight, “He’ll be able to help you navigate and get through security spots!”

“Are you sure?” Shiro asked, and she nodded, glancing at her little robot friend, “Help me keep Shiro out of trouble okay?”

Rover seemed to understand, even giving her what almost seemed to be a nod before floating over to Shiro’s side. Shiro looked at the little guy, before nodding at it.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can.” Shiro said, addressing Pidge one last time before turning to leave the Green Lion along with Rover.

She watched them go, waiting for a moment to make sure they were out of sight before she went back to what she needed to do. The Green Lion raised itself over the Red Lion, which seemed to have dropped its force field, probably out of familiarity with the Green Lion. Pidge let out a shaky breath, focusing on using her lion’s claws to grip the Red Lion’s torso, just enough for Pidge to be sure they wouldn’t drop the thing.

Once she felt secure, Pidge turned on the communicators again, this time making sure to connect to the castle as well as the other two pilots.

“Guys, I have the Red Lion,” She reported, “I’m taking it straight back to the castle. Lance, Hunk, keep me covered!”

 **“Wait, where’s Shiro?!”** Lance’s voice demanded.

“Keith is gone, Shiro went in after him.” Pidge answered.

 **“Alone?! That’s far too reckless!”** Coran protested, **“There are far too many Galra soldiers inside!”**

“He’ll be fine!” Pidge yelled back, “But we can’t leave the Red Lion here either. I’m getting it back to the castle, and I’ll head straight back.”

 **“No!”** Hunk shouted, surprisingly, **“Lance you keep Pidge and the Red Lion safe, I’ll stay behind and make sure Shiro and Keith make it out safely.”**

 **“What?!”** Lance argued, **“Hunk your lion is much better at protecting stuff, I think…”**

 **“Lance your lion has already taken quite a few hits,”** Hunk reasoned, **“You need to get down and take a breather. Don’t worry! I got this!”**

With that said, Hunk shut off his communications, with Lance shouting worried protests. Pidge had to say she was kinda impressed. She knew Hunk could be really committed when he wanted to be, just like how he built that device that tracked the Blue Lion back on Earth (of course, she helped), but she also mostly saw Hunk as the nervous guy who would avoid conflict whenever possible. For him to actively rush into danger for Shiro and Keith’s sakes said a lot about the kinda guy he was.

 **“I hate to say this, but Hunk is right Lance.”** Allura said to Lance, who, like Pidge herself, hadn’t disconnected yet, **“You’ve received significant damage. You must return to recover before you lose the chance to.”**

 **“But…But Hunk he…”** Lance tried to argue, but he looked as if he realized it was futile, **“…Fine.”**

It wasn’t as if Pidge didn’t understand why he felt so concerned. Out of everyone in the team, Lance and Hunk were the closest. They’d known each other the longest, as far as anyone else knew. By the time Pidge had faked her identity to get into the Garrison, the two of them had already been friends for over a year. Lance wasn’t exactly the most… _tactful_ person around, but he cared for anyone he was close to greatly. That much was obvious.

Pidge herself felt close to Hunk as well. When they first met, she didn’t think too highly of him, or Lance for that matter, mostly because she was too focused on trying to find out what happened to her dad and Matt. However, despite all their differences, Pidge found herself appreciating their presence more and more, eventually being able to truthfully call them her friends. When it was Hunk and her, they always discussed the tech stuff together, and loved to work on mini projects with one another.

There was an issue with this though. After all, the two of them believed she was a guy, like them. Somehow, Pidge wasn’t sure if they would treat her the same if they found out about her real gender, not to mention the fact that she was actually quite a bit younger than they were, as well as her being someone who snuck into Garrison through forgery and faked documents.

She knew they would care for _Pidge Gunderson_.

But what would they think of _Katie Holt_?

Well, she supposed she would have to cross that bridge when she got to it. She had a mission to finish.

 **“I’m heading out! Lance cover me!”** Pidge announced as she slammed down onto the controls, the Green Lion shooting out of the cargo hold and into the literal space outside. She didn’t let herself stop for even a moment as she raced towards Arus.

Of course, pretty much every single Galra craft they had shooting at Lance and Hunk earlier had noticed, and they instantly focused all their attention on her. They probably really couldn’t afford to lose the Red Lion at this stage, not that Pidge was going to have mercy on them though. She allowed herself to glance outside, just barely seeing the Yellow Lion vanish behind the main ship, and she suspected he had taken the chance to enter it while the crafts were distracted. She hoped Hunk knew what he was doing.

The Blue Lion flew up to her in the Green, flying closely, but not close enough to cause a collision. Lance said nothing, but Pidge kept the comm links open in case they needed to yell stuff at one another. Pidge shot downwards at top speeds, well, at least at whatever top speeds she could attain while hauling a robot lion only slightly smaller than her own. Either way, she was determined to make it back to the castle as soon as possible, so she could go back up and assist Hunk and the others if they needed it. Right now, the Red Lion was no more than dead weight.

Lance did a wonderful job of keeping the Galra crafts at bay, essentially shooting everywhere with the Blue Lion’s mouth and tail blasters, but Pidge knew the damage he had taken wasn’t exaggerated. The Blue Lion had burnt spots and some obvious dents in its armor here and there. So far, that hadn’t seemed to affect Lance’s ability to operate it, but this was only Lance’s third confrontation with the Galra. The message of not pushing their luck here was loud and clear.

“Lance I’ve almost managed to get to the castle. Hang on just a minute longer!” Pidge shouted into the comm link, not looking away from the controls.

 **“Okay got it!”** Lance replied, and the Blue Lion came up slightly closer as they properly entered Arus’s atmosphere. Pidge decided to risk a shot of her own, using the tail canon on the Green Lion to fire at a few incoming crafts. Of course, it was a blind shot, as she couldn’t look behind the lion at the moment, but if it kept them away, that was enough. Lance seemed to get a similar idea, only he kept turning around to face the crafts directly to make sure Pidge delivered the Red Lion safely, something she was immensely grateful for.

As they approached the castle, Pidge noticed a particle barrier surrounding it, not unlike the ones the lions used. She looked at the comms link.

“Allura, I’m coming in!” Pidge declared and Allura gave a firm nod before hitting a button on the main control panel. Pidge noticed the lower section of the particle barrier around the castle dissolved a bit, forming an opening just big enough for her and the Red Lion to get through.

 **“You will have to come in from below!”** Allura explained quickly, **“Right now it would be too risky to try and disperse it in random patches!”**

“Understood! Lance do you copy?” Pidge yelled.

 **“Yeah got that!”** Lance replied, **“Allura, begin closing the barrier as soon as we get close! I don’t want any of those guys making it through too!”**

 **“Of course Lance.”** Allura confirmed, hand already on the panel. That was all Pidge needed to know. She sent the Green Lion into a nosedive, something her conscience specifically screamed at her _NOT TO DO_. But eh. Whatever.

The Green Lion went as low as it could go without scrapping the Red Lion against the ground, and Pidge found herself letting out a yell of determination as they ducked beneath the barrier edge, the Blue Lion copying her movements a mere second later. The particle barrier slammed right back down, just soon enough to stop any stray Galra blasts from hitting them. The crafts seemed annoyed they could no longer land a direct blast on the lions, and had opted to start shooting relentlessly at the barrier instead.

 **“Good work paladins.”** Allura praised, **“Pidge, please take the Red Lion to its hangar. After that you can return to assist the others. Lance please stay for a moment for us to assess the damages.”**

 **“What?!”** Lance shouted, **“But Hunk and the others!”**

 **“I know Lance,”** Allura replied, **“but we need to make sure you’re safe too.”**

Pidge heard Lance grumble something, but she couldn't really make it out. Not that she blamed him, she'd have a problem too if she couldn't head out to make sure one of her best friends was okay. She just hoped Lance didn't blame himself for it.

"Allura could you open the door for me?" Pidge called as she flew to the castle tower that Allura and Coran had indicated was for the Red Lion to rest in. The response was quick and she flew in without issues, dropping the Red Lion, somewhat begrudgingly, on the floor in the middle of the massive room. Instantly, the Red Lion's force field came back online, preventing her from touching it any further. Pidge frowned. Allura hadn't been kidding when she said this guy was temperamental.

"All right, the Red Lion is secure. I'm going back out there." Pidge declared as she left the Red Lion's hangar, ascending back into the skies.

 **"Understood. I'll raise the barrier enough for you to leave."** Allura responded, **"Please be careful. Lance may join you shortly if the damage isn't too serious."**

"Roger that." Pidge confirmed, not actually knowing if Alteans used similar terminology, but Allura didn't seem too concerned, so it was probably fine.

The Galra crafts were unfortunately still out there, still shooting at the barrier. They definitely seemed to be the persistent type. Pidge would need to engage them if she wanted to make it back out there.

"Oh this just great." She groaned in frustration, already really sick of these stupid Galra already. As if they hadn't caused her and her family and friends enough trouble.

Pidge saw the particle barrier being raised slightly like before and wasted no time diving under it. Her lion was considerably smaller now without the added bulk of the Red Lion, so she was able to squeeze through much faster.

The Galra crafts were pretty much waiting for her to reappear, for they rushed toward her once she was out, firing their lasers like crazy. Pidge quickly hit a button, and beams of energy shot out at them from the Green Lion's mouth and tail as she flew around them. One beam hit the nearest Galra craft directly, and Pidge flew up to grab it by the wing in her lion's jaws. She swung the lion's head out, sending the craft spiraling straight at another one, destroying them both in one go. She allowed herself a momentary victory smile, but she knew there were still a lot more where those came from.

Pidge worked the controls furiously, firing multiple beams while dodging and occasionally blocking as many of the enemy blasts as she could. She had taken a few scrapes, but no direct hits so far.

"Okay okay," She said to herself, mostly to calm her steadily fraying nerves, "I just have to get back to the ship and make sure Hunk, Shiro, and Keith get out of there safe. No biggie."

The Green Lion sped forward, and Pidge felt grateful for its smaller size compared to the Blue and Yellow Lions, for it was a lot easier to move and turn faster when needed.

Of course, this made her think of the Red Lion once again. That one was supposed to be the fastest and most agile. Pidge wanted to know just how fast and agile it could be. But that was only from a technical standpoint.

At the same time, emotionally, Pidge kinda wanted to kick the Red Lion. She didn't like it for not accepting Keith, plus it had been delaying her from rushing back to ensure Hunk was okay. Sure, getting the Red Lion back from the Galra ship was the objective of the mission, but Pidge had her personal priorities to consider.

"Hang on guys, I'm almost there." She said out loud to herself again. She wasn't going to let the Galra take anyone else.  They were her teammates now, just like how her dad, Matt, and Shiro had been a team. She had to make sure they were okay.

Pidge just barely left Arus's atmosphere when she noticed that the number of Galra crafts following her had been reduced by a large margin. She frowned. Technically, this should have been good news, but why would they suddenly disappear like that?

 **"Pidge!"** Lance's voice suddenly came, **"Pidge can you hear me?!"**

“Lance?!” Pidge exclaimed in surprise, “What’s going on?!”

**“I’m coming up there, the Blue Lion and I have a bad feeling something bad is gonna happen!”**

“Something bad?! Like what?!”

**“I can’t say for sure, but whatever it is, the Galra crafts seem to be retreating back towards the main ship. I’m not leaving any of you up there without me!”**

**“Lance is correct,”** Allura interjected, **“I suspect they realized Hunk went back in and will try to prevent you from getting him out safely. Lance seems to ball right to carry on. But please, be careful paladins.”**

 **“Yes please!”** Coran added hastily, **“We don’t want to have to lock someone in a healing pod after this!”**

“Okay, we’re on it!” Pidge yelled as she flew back to the main Galra ship. Immediately, she noticed two things. One was that Lance hadn’t been kidding when he said all the remaining crafts had returned to guard the main ship, because there were tons of them, all ready to shoot at them. The second, however, was just as distressing. It was that the ion cannon was almost fixed.

"Lance, I'm gonna need some help breaking the ion cannon again!" Pidge yelled into the comms link, "Looks like they're almost done repairing it!"

 **"What?!"** Lance exclaimed in irritated disbelief, **"Hunk literally crashed his lion into it how'd they fix it so fast?!"**

"How should I know?!" Pidge yelled back, "But that doesn't matter right now, we need to stop them from fixing it or we'll have to risk letting them shooting at the castle as well."

 **"I know that!"** Lance shouted in response, **"So what's the plan?"**

"Hunk broke it by ramming it right?"

**"Yeah but his lion has the armor for it. Ours not so much!"**

"Fair point, but we need to come up with something! I’m not sure our regular energy blasts are gonna cut it!”

**“Wait I think I got it! Remember when you grabbed that Galra ship just now and threw it at the other one?”**

“You mean the craft?! And you saw that?!”

**“Yeah I did now let’s throw one of them at the canon!”**

“Are you nuts?!”

**“You have a better idea Pidge?!”**

“…No. Fine. Let’s do it.”

Despite Pidge’s objection, she had to admit it was the best plan they had at the moment, as crazy as it was. She had thought about ramming it together, but apparently she had forgotten about the armor detail. Plus Lance’s lion was already damaged, so they didn’t need to add to that.

They closed in on the main ship, blasting at stray crafts when they needed to. Pidge watched the Blue Lion fly in close to the ion cannon. Taking that as a signal that they were going for it, she pulled the Green Lion over as well.

 **“Ready Pidge?!”** Lance called through the comms.

“Yep! Let’s go!” Pidge replied as they simultaneously dove towards their nearest Galra craft. Pidge yanked at the controls and brought the Green Lion’s jaws down hard on the wing of the craft, then reversing as quickly as she could, racing back towards the main ship. Once close enough, Pidge slammed down on the breaks and let the craft fly from her lion’s bite. Not far away, the Blue Lion mirrored her movements, and the two Galra crafts flew straight towards their target.

The two lions had only moments to spare to retreat so as to not get caught in the blasts.

The crafts exploded and the ion cannon was entirely broken off this time, and Pidge found herself letting out a celebratory squeal.

“We did it Lance! Great job!” Pidge exclaimed with a wide grin.

 **“Heck yeah we did!”** Lance replied, his voice almost a whole octave higher with similar excitement, **“But our work’s not done yet. Let’s get rid of the rest of the small fry!”**

“I thought you’d never ask!” Pidge yelled back as they flew right back into the action.

She only hoped the rest were having as much luck as they were.

**_XXX_ **

Shiro ran down the empty Galra hallways with Keith's helmet tucked under his left arm. Floating close by was Pidge’s little robot, Rover, who had a map of the place projected in front of him. Shiro wouldn't really admit it out loud, but he was both grateful and uneased with the robot's presence. On the one hand, finding his way around was a lot easier with an actual map in front of him, but on the other hand, the robot was Galra tech, and Shiro couldn't shake the feeling that it would somehow override Pidge’s programming and return to serving the hostile aliens, which would compromise his mission greatly.

It wasn't as if Shiro doubted Pidge’s technical skills. He had seen what she could do. No ordinary teenager would be able to build tech that could track space signals without assistance. She had helped Hunk make the machine that brought them to the Blue Lion, and very quickly figured out the additional functions of her bayard, just from asking Allura a few questions. Heck, she only took about five second to reprogram the robot that was the cause of Shiro's little dilemma, with hardly any knowledge of alien tech to work with.

Also, she was Matt's sister, and Commander Holt's daughter. It wouldn't be surprising if she shared their impressive intellect.

Still, Shiro couldn't find a way to dispel his insecurities. He was going to have to trust that the thing wouldn't betray him, and keep moving forward.

Shortly after separating with Pidge, Shiro had activated the tracker function of the suits, specifically setting it to track the Red suit's unique signature. He was lucky to have it, otherwise searching for Keith would be a much more stressful experience. Again, he had to thank Pidge for that, for she was the one who started asking Allura all those questions about the technology of the suits and bayard back at the castle, when they left the armory.

She definitely had Matt's curiosity, and at least twice his enthusiasm.

Shiro felt his heart sink at the thought of Matt. He had to wonder where his friend and his father had been taken. With no working memory, he couldn't guarantee if they were even still alive, and honestly, if that was the case, Shiro didn't want to know.

A slight beeping sound coming from his left arm threw him back into reality, only slightly startling him. He stopped running, moving the helmet to his other hand as he tapped a button on his left wrist, which pulled up a small holographic screen. Usually, it was mostly empty except for a black dot in the center and a small compass-like icon in the top-right corner, only with five points instead of the usual four. But this time, a small red dot had appeared on screen, slightly East of Shiro's current position. His eyes widened. Keith was close.

He tore down the hallway in the direction of the Red suit's signal, Rover following close, apparently having decided to store the map for the moment. That was fine. If Keith was close enough, a map wouldn't be necessary. He kept the tracker screen on though, and silently thanked every designer and engineer involved in making the suit to have had the initiative to put the tracker function in the chest plate. Had it been in the helmet...Shiro wasn't sure what he wouldn't done.

The red dot was moving, and moving pretty quickly. Shiro watched as it made two sharp turns without stopping, and it both baffled and worried him because that could mean that either Keith somehow already knew his way around, or he was being chased by guards that may have spotted him. Shiro just hoped it wasn't the latter.

Keith wasn't stopping, so Shiro knew he had to be quick if he wanted to catch up. He picked up the pace, as much as he could manage at least, following the red dot as if his life depended on it.

Or in this case, _Keith's_ life.

He clutched the red helmet tighter in fearful agitation.

Rover beeped something at him suddenly as he ran, which startled Shiro, but not enough to slow him down much. He kept moving, but gave the little robot a look of confusion, and it beeped again as it pulled up another map. Shiro was still confused, but he supposed Rover wanted him to know where he was going. He looked at the holographic map, and drew in a sharp breath upon seeing that they were nearing the front of the ship.

What? Just where was Keith trying to go?!

Biting back a groan of frustration, Shiro pushed onwards, keeping in mind to give Keith a piece of his mind when he could.

Shiro looked back at the tracker screen, and he immediately noticed that the red dot was no longer moving as quickly, now seemingly lingering in one spot, only moving up and down slightly every few seconds. His chest tightened. He was very sure that meant Keith had been caught and was probably fighting for his life. He had to move.

Thankfully, Keith didn't appear to be too far away, judging by the space between the red and black dots on the tracker screen. Shiro looked at Rover's map, trying to determine just how far. It was merely rough guesswork, but he soon determined that Keith was only about a short run away. Shiro would just had to make a few short turns down the halls and he should meet up with him.

**"Shiro? Shiro are you there?!"**

Shiro jumped when his communicator crackled to life, sending Hunk's worried voice over through his helmet.

"Hunk?! What is it?!" Shiro practically demanded, sounding considerably fiercer than he had meant to be. It must've intimidated Hunk slightly, because Shiro could've sworn he heard an inkling of a squeak from the other end of the communicator, but Hunk seemed to recover fairly quickly. Not that it did anything to quell the instant sense of guilt Shiro felt.

 **"I...I'm in the hangar with the Yellow Lion."** Hunk explained, **"Pidge and Lance are outside trying to send the Red Lion back to the castle, so I snuck in here to make sure you guys had a way out."**

"What?! Hunk that's dangerous!" Shiro scolded, but Hunk had a retort ready.

 **"Well so is running into a Galra ship alone!"** He yelled back, and Shiro felt unable to argue back at the good point, **"Look, I'm pretty safe here in the Yellow Lion. But you and Keith aren't in there. I know I can't exactly go in after you guys, but I can at least make sure you have a way to get out. Don't worry about the Galra in the hangar, the Yellow Lion already took them out and no more seem to be coming."**

"O...Okay Hunk. Thank you." Shiro replied sincerely, not missing Hunk's voice lowering in disappointment when he said he couldn't go in after them. He must've wanted to, but Shiro had to praise his sensibility. If Hunk ran in as well without the protection of his lion, that was three paladins at risk.

"Just hang in there. I'll grab Keith and get out as soon as we can." Shiro promised, hoping and hoping he would be able to fulfill it.

 **"Okay. Good luck Shiro."** Hunk responded, clearly intending to send him encouragement. However, those words had a different effect on Shiro.

A flash jolted through his mind, and for a moment, Shiro's vision blurred to white. Time seemed to slow, and he heard a voice, a familiar voice, say those exact words, echoing in his mind.

_'Good luck Shiro.'_

Who...who was that...?

_'Good luck Shiro.'_

Who said those words to him...? Who...who said them?!

_'Good luck Shiro.'_

Who?!

Shiro tried to remember, but he couldn't. He couldn't remember! But the memory was right there! It was just within his reach! But it appeared as if his outstretched hands just fell short of grabbing it to reclaim what was his.

A shout of frustration ripped from his throat as his feet skidded to a halt and Keith's helmet fell out of his grip. His left hand, his only real remaining hand, flew to his forehead, a pathetic attempt to try and get rid of the sudden pain and anger he felt at himself for having a blank mind.

The Galra...just what had they done to him?!

 **"Shiro?! Shiro what's wrong?!"** Hunk shouted through the communicator, reminding Shiro that they were still connected. A feeling of shame bubbled in his chest. He hadn't wanted anyone to see, or hear, how much this truly bothered him.

"It's...it's nothing Hunk. I'm sorry for the scare." He replied, wincing at the shakiness of his voice, "I just...I just ran into a guard and it startled me. Don't worry I took it down."

 **"Are you sure?!"** Hunk questioned, evidently not buying Shiro's excuse, he was more perceptive than Shiro thought, **"That sounded like more than a startled reaction."**

"I'm fine I promise," Shiro lied, that feeling of shame increasing, "Anyway I think I know where Keith is. We'll meet up with you soon."

 **"...All right if you say so. Just hurry."** Hunk conceded. Shiro let out a sigh as he turned the communicator off, grateful that Hunk didn't push him for a solid answer, but also not feeling so great about having to lie about how he felt to his teammate. He looked down at the helmet at his feet, gingerly picking it up with his left hand.

Rover beeped at him again, this time seeming to do so solely out of concern (how advanced was Galra technology anyway?). He gave it a nod of reassurance, mostly for his own sake, to calm his own nerves. Rover seemed to accept this, and Shiro began running again, the little robot diligently following him.

A few minutes later, Shiro started hearing the faint sounds of metal hitting metal, as well as angry grunts and shouts, coming from a left turn in the hall up ahead. It sounded like a fight, and there was only one person on the ship who would've gotten into a fight with the guards at this stage.

"Keith!" Shiro shouted desperately as he activated his right arm, the arm the Galra replaced with a loathsome combat machine. He didn't like it, not one bit, but it was the only weapon he had right now. He would have to make do with it, like he told Allura he would.

Shiro turned the corner, ready to fight, but to his astonishment, all he saw was several robotic Galra guards, slashed to unmoving pieces on the floor in front of him, Keith nowhere to be seen.

"What the...?! Keith?! Keith!!" Shiro called, a sense of panic building up in him. He then heard a stumble in the corner at yet another one of those random turns in the hall, and Keith came into view, a furious glare on his face.

"What are you doing here?!" Keith all but screamed at him, "You're supposed to be getting the Red Lion back to the castle! And why is there a Galra drone following you?!"

"Pidge and Lance have got that covered, and Pidge reprogrammed the drone." Shiro told him, upset at how angry Keith seemed to be, but keeping his voice level, "and there was no way we were going to leave you behind Keith."

Rover beeped in agreement. But clearly, Keith didn’t share the same sentiments as the advanced Galra tech.

"You should've left me behind! I can't pilot the Red Lion Shiro! I don't have a place among you paladins!"

"That doesn't mean you have to run recklessly into danger! You could've been killed!"

**_"SO WHAT?!"_ **

Shiro swore his heart skipped a beat when those words left Keith's mouth. He couldn't find the words to argue back, he couldn't comprehend the fact that Keith seemed so uncaring about possibly dying.

"I'm a liability Shiro!" Keith continued, with no less rage, "I couldn't get the Red Lion to accept me, not even to just get it off this ship! You guys don't need me! What you need is to get back to Arus and make sure they don't get the other lions!"

"I'm not leaving you behind Keith!" Shiro exclaimed, raising his voice as his own emotions began to affect him, "We can figure something out! Even if you can't fly the Red Lion, there has to be something else!"

"Argh why do you have to be such an idiot?! That's nothing but false hope and you know it!"

"It's not! Keith please! I left you behind once and I don't want to make that same mistake again!"

That shut Keith up, and Shiro himself seemed to realize what he'd just said. He looked at Keith to see the fire in his purple eyes dimming slightly in what seemed to be confusion and surprise.

"You...you remembered something about me?" Keith asked, still with an edge of hostility, but considerably duller than it had been mere moments earlier. Shiro pressed his lips into a thin line.

"N...No." He confessed, "I don't, I...I don't know why I said that."

Keith's eyes widened slightly, but then he looked down, and Shiro saw he was clenching his fists, clearly hurt. He grimaced, guilt and regret threatening to tear him apart from the inside.

"Look, Keith I..." Shiro started to say, but Keith turned his back on him.

"Just go back already." Keith snapped, "I'm going to blow up this ship. You wouldn't want to be on it when that happens."

Instantly Shiro froze.

"What...?! Keith you...you can't be serious!" He exclaimed, but Keith hardly reacted, which was honestly so much more frightening than him constantly shouting at the top of his lungs. At least when he was shouting he was still fighting. At least when he was shouting he wasn't giving up.

"Keith, you can't...!" Shiro tried again, reaching out to grab Keith by the shoulder, but Keith was apparently ready for it. He swung around quickly, knocking Shiro's hand back with a significant amount of force and shoving him back, shocking Shiro greatly and once again making him drop the helmet.

"Just shut up already!" Keith’s anger seemed to have come back full force, "I don’t want to fight with you Shiro, but what the _quiznak_ is even wrong with you?! Why can't you understand?! What's the point of me going back?! Don't think I don't know the others don't even trust me, and it's not like there's anything left on Earth for me either! I'm not even worth remembering to you! There's nothing for me back with you! I might as well make myself worth something on this stupid failure of a mission!"

He was breathless after that. Shiro stared at him, completely stunned into silence. What was he supposed to say? What could he say to someone who already couldn't bring himself to believe in himself? Especially after his previous attempts to encourage him had clearly backfired so horribly? But...but _'not worth remembering'_ ? _'Stupid failure'_? No, that wasn't true. He had to say something, he had to...

"Just get out of here while you can Shiro." Keith said again, this time sounding utterly defeated and resigned to his fate, "The only thing I can do now is make sure this ship doesn't come after you. You have to find the true Red Paladin and form Voltron. Like the Princess said, you're the universe's only hope. You don't have time to worry about me"

No...no, he was wrong. He was wrong!

"You're wrong Keith!" Shiro rushed forward and grabbed Keith's shoulders, shocking them both, but Shiro hardly had time to process this before the words came tumbling out almost uncontrollably.

"You're wrong!" Shiro repeated, "It's not that you're not worth remembering! I do remember you! I know you from somewhere, I'm sure of it! But everytime I try to remember where, every time I try to think about who you are, I just can't!"

Keith's eyes widened, but Shiro just kept going.

"I want to remember you Keith! I want to know who you are, I want to know why I think I left you behind! But if you go and do something reckless, I might never get a chance to do so, and I know I'll regret it for who knows how long!"

"And I don't want to be the reason you get captured by the Galra again!" Keith interjected, "You suffered so much under them Shiro! You lost your arm! And I just...I...I don't know okay?!"

Keith shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut as if he were trying to hold back tears. As for Shiro, he let out a deep breath, trying to get his emotions back in order. It would not do if both of them started having breakdowns here.

"Keith, please listen to me." Shiro said as calmly as he could possibly manage, "I'm not going to get captured again. We're both gonna get out of here together, and we're both going to get out alive. Hunk’s in the hangar waiting for us. We’ll be okay. Trust me."

"No, you need to trust me." Keith replied, a newfound determination in his eyes, "Face it Shiro, I was right about the Red Lion not accepting me, and I know I'm right here too. We don't have any more time. You and I both know that the others won't be able to fight off this ship on their own. Destroying it from the inside is our best bet."

As if to prove Keith's point, the communicator in Shiro's helmet buzzed, and Pidge’s voice came through.

 **"Shiro!! Have you found Keith yet?! We're starting to lose ground! They pulled back all the crafts to attack all at once!"** She screamed.

 **"Yeah man! We can't keep this up much longer!"** Lance added with urgency in his voice.

 **"Yes I found him, we'll be out soon with Hunk and the Yellow Lion!"** Shiro responded, **"How long can you hold on?!"**

 **"Urf, I don't know, like a few minutes?!"** Pidge answered worryingly, **"Lance and I can't really do much more than try and avoid their attacks right now! Also, nothing happened to Rover right? I kinda like that little guy!"**

 **“Who the heck is Rover?!”** Lance exclaimed.

"Rover’s fine Pidge, he’s still with me. We'll be there as soon as we can. Right now we need to take care of something so please hold on until then!" Shiro commanded.

 **"Okay, but don't take your time!!"** Lance yelled back as the communicator turned off. Once that was done, Shiro looked back at Keith.

Shiro didn't want to admit it, but judging from the conversation he just had, Keith had a point. The others would not be able to take down the Galra ship without forming Voltron, which was out of the question for now. Also, if they flew out here in the Yellow Lion, the chances of being bombarded with several Galra crafts was too high. Drastic times called for drastic measures, whether Shiro liked it or not.

"Keith, how were you going to blow up the ship?" Shiro asked, which made Keith draw back.

“Are you crazy!? You can’t think…” He started protesting, but Shiro was done with the arguing for now. They had wasted enough time already.

“No! If you really think this is the best way, we do it together, or I’m dragging you straight back to Arus!” He yelled back at Keith, in what he hoped was an extremely convincing manner. “The rest are out of time, we’re out of time, and the Galra are going to make it near impossible to escape anyway! So we might as well take it down like you said, with both of us getting out of here, or _all_ of us dying!"

Keith glared dangerously at him.

“So what’s your choice Keith?” Shiro asked, trying his best to be as persuasive as possible with that simple question, silently praying and praying that his words would break through Keith’s ridiculously stubborn state. Keith maintained the glare for a moment longer, before he let out an exaggerated groan of extreme frustration.

“Okay fine! But if you dare die on me you better hope we never see each other in the afterlife!” He snapped, sharply jabbing a finger in Shiro’s direction for emphasis. A part of Shiro wanted to smile and thank him for cooperating, but that could wait.

“Got it, now where to?” Shiro asked instead, as he bent down to pick up the red helmet he had unintentionally discarded during their fight. To his confusion, when he stood back up with the helmet in hand, Keith had the most irritated scowl Shiro had ever seen on his face, practically glaring at the headpiece.

He didn’t really get to dwell on it though, as Rover that decided to beep at them. Shiro had almost forgotten the little robot was even there. Rover let out another series of beeps before flying forward down the hall. Keith and Shiro stared at one another.

“We’re following the robot.” Shiro stated firmly, handing over the helmet, and Keith let out another groan, but no longer protested as he began to run after the robot (though making no move to put the helmet back on). Shiro wondered if Keith was tired of the arguing as he had been.

Rover floated quickly without any form of hesitation, and Shiro followed it closely. A minute later, they arrived at a large set of closed doors with a keypad next to it.

“This is the main control room.” Keith stated, strangely sure, “There should be a way to trigger a self-destruct in there, but we’ll have to fight our way through. Can you cover me while I get to the panel?”

Internally, Shiro frowned. How on Earth would Keith know all this? He wanted to question it at once, but the pressure of the lack of time was upon them. He had to trust Keith right now, and ask him questions later.

So he nodded at Keith’s request.

Keith returned the nod, before he finally put the red helmet back on, though not without a quick glare of distaste. Shiro briefly thought back to Keith’s response to Lance’s comment about his goggles and scarf back in the desert. Was Keith not joking when he said he didn’t like helmets?

“Hello? Hunk are you there?” Keith spoke into the communicator. Shiro could just barely make out what was being said.

 **“Keith?! Yeah I’m here, but what about you?”** Hunk replied, his voice filled with both relief and worry.

“Listen Hunk,” Keith continued, essentially ignoring Hunk’s question, “We need you to leave the hangar at once and fly straight to the main control at the front of the ship within a few minutes. Can you do that?”

 **“What?! Do you know how many of those tiny ships are out there?!”** Hunk practically shrieked.

“I know, but Shiro and I are going to need to escape from there and we need you to get us out. Can you do it?” Keith urged, clearly getting annoyed already.

 **“Okay, okay I can. I’ll be there as soon as possible. Please be careful.”** Hunk said at last. Keith thanked him before turning his communicator off. He looked back up at Shiro, summoning his bayard, which instantly turned into his red and white sword. Shiro decided to make sure to arm himself as well, activating his right arm.

He pointedly ignored the unintentional pun he had made in his head.

“Get us in Rover.” Shiro told the little robot, which obeyed at once, pointing its lens at the keypad and somehow releasing the lock. The door flew open, and Keith charged inside first without a moment to spare, Shiro following suit.

Keith rushed straight at the main control panel in the front at an unbelievable speed, ignoring everything else. Shiro followed suit, intent on making sure they did this right.

“What the…?!” Sendak exclaimed the second they got in, and he raised his arm just in time to block Keith’s sword, which would’ve slashed him cleanly across the chest otherwise.

“To think a bunch of Earthlings would make such a bold move…!” Sendak yelled as he threw Keith back, but somehow Keith managed to remain on his feet. Sendak charged at him, but Keith seemed fiercely determined to fight.

Shiro didn’t have the luxury of watching Keith, however, as the other Galra officers in the room shot up from their seats and rushed to engage him, apparently deciding to leave Keith to Sendak.

A jolt of anger shot through Shiro at the thought. As if either of them would be so easy to beat…!

Shiro let out a battle cry as he fought against them. He let his battle instincts take over, like he did when he and Pidge were helping the prisoners into the escape pod, after his arm began to act up and somehow allowed his body to remember how to fight back.

The Galra outnumbered them, but for whatever reason, Shiro hardly felt anything but pure adrenaline. It was as if he already knew what to do, how to act, what to feel. Most of the Galra soldiers seemed to prefer close combat, unlike the robotic guards which seemed to favour blasters, but unfortunately for them, close combat was what Shiro was best at as well.

He kept switching the position of his hand as he moved, making quick slicing motions with an open hand to slash at any openings in the enemy defenses, before switching to deliver a devastating strike with a powerful closed fist.

Luckily for Shiro, it seemed that most of them weren’t seasoned fighters, and were relatively easy to take down. However, one of them proved to be much more of a challenge.

This Galra was different from the others. Unlike them, he wore no helmet, had a long, pointed face, and what appeared to be horns on his head. He fought in a rather unorthodox way, ducking for cover behind the other soldiers, allowing them to take the hit whenever tried to land a blow, before making swift strikes towards Shiro at seemingly random intervals. He used a sword that appeared to be made out of pure purple energy, and seemed to observe Shiro constantly. Shiro was greatly unnerved by this one, but he couldn’t falter.

It wasn’t until Shiro had taken down the rest that this Galra addressed him.

“You’ve been visited by our Druids it seems.” The Galra hissed mockingly, “That arm of yours was quite an experiment for them.”

“I’m not interested in that!” Shiro snapped back, lunging forward to strike at the Galra, who dodged with a quick side-step before swinging his sword back at Shiro. Dammit, this guy was more agile than the rest!

Shiro knew he had to watch the sword. Since it was didn’t seem to be entirely solid, he didn’t want to have to make direct contact with it, so blocking a strike was out of the question. He had to make sure he avoided them.

“You Earthlings are fools if you think you can defeat us so easily!” The Galra spat, charging and slashing, before jumping back after each attack, only to repeat it. Shiro wasn’t as fast as he was, and he had received a few scrapes but nothing serious. However, he had yet to land a blow of his own, and it was starting to throw him off.

“Whatever pathetic plan you had in mind, it’s not going to get any of you anywhere!” The Galra yelled again, pushing Shiro backwards with a slash aimed at Shiro’s chest, before he swung his leg out and swept his legs out from under him. Shiro lost his footing entirely as a result and crashed onto the ground with a yell of pain.

“Now you die!” The Galra declared as he raised his sword with every intent on landing that killing blow. Shiro struggled to get up, but panic was beginning to set in and his legs didn’t seem to respond in time. His eyes widened as the blade came down.

Without warning, Rover rapidly flew into view, crashing directly into the Galra’s face, with enough force to push him back. The Galra let out a squawk of shock, and Shiro sprang back into action, tackling the Galra to the ground and making him drop the weapon. The Galra frantically struggled to push him off as Shiro raised a fist to try and knock him out, but this time Shiro had the advantage. The Galra did managed to shove him back, but that was enough for Shiro to turn that into a good offensive position, and he struck the Galra with a well-timed, and immensely satisfying, punch to the face.

Unfortunately for Shiro, in his panic, he had ended up using his left hand, which was significantly weaker than his prosthetic. The Galra, though clearly injured from the punch, grabbed his wrist, and yanked it away, forcing Shiro’s body to the left and allowing the Galra to break free from the hold.

“You impudent little…” He started to growl, but he was cut short.

By a scream from Sendak.

Both Shiro and the Galra’s head shot up to the main control panel, where Sendak was on his knees clutching the front of his face, and Shiro barely noticed a dark, liquid-like substance leaking through the alien’s fingers. A shiver went down his spine.

“Commander Sendak!” The other Galra exclaimed, unintentionally pulling Shiro’s attention back towards him, and Shiro wasn’t about to waste another chance. This time, he took advantage of the Galra’s distraction, and swiftly delivered another punch, this time with his right fist. The Galra went down.

Satisfied, Shiro looked back up to see Keith at the control panel, furiously working the controls. A second later, red and blue lights began flashing and alarms began blaring. Keith immediately slashed at the panel right after, destroying it. He then jumped down from the raised platform where the panel was and rushed to Shiro’s side.

“Let’s go!” He shouted, and Shiro suddenly felt another quick flash. He forced himself to shake it off. He could not afford to lose it here.

“Hunk we need you now!” Keith all but screamed into the communicator, “Pidge, Lance, hurry and retreat! Get away from the main ship!”

 **“What?! Keith what’s…”** Lance called, and Shiro turned his own communicator on.

“No time for questions Lance! You and Pidge get out of here this instant!” He ordered, and luckily, this seemed to convince him.

 **“What about me?!”** Hunk asked in a frantic tone.

“The front of the ship, there’s a window! Just bust straight in if you have to!” Keith shouted, and Shiro was seriously beginning to question if there was a limit to his recklessness.

 **“Are you crazy?!”** Pidge exclaimed, and instantly, Shiro saw the possibility of potential argument that could cost them their lives.

“Just do it Hunk!!” He shouted into his own communicator, and Hunk let out a yelp before he agreed.

“ _YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!_ ” Sendak suddenly roared, and Shiro turned to see the larger Galra charging at them in a vicious rage, a clear slash wound across both his cybernetic and organic eyes, which were broken and force closed respectively, dripping with what appeared to be the dark liquid Shiro saw earlier. It had been blood.

“Shiro watch out!” Keith yelled, shoving Shiro away as Sendak swung a massive, cybernetic arm down at them. Keith had jumped back after pushing Shiro away, but evidently, not enough. Sendak’s arm smashed the floor where they had been standing, leaving a crater in the metal, before he swung it out and slammed Keith in the stomach. Keith let out a sharp gasp in pain as he was flung away.

“Keith!” Shiro yelled, urgently rushing forward to help him. Sendak’s attention turned to him, and he blindly swung his arm again, missing Shiro by mere centimeters. But Shiro couldn’t take him on, he had to make sure Keith was okay. He forced his legs to move, to get to Keith faster. Behind him, Sendak roared again, and heavy footsteps headed his way.

No…

Withot warning, the head of the Yellow Lion tore through the front of the control room, saving Shiro from being crushed by making Sendak lose his footing, therefore throwing his balance off entirely. Its mouth opened, and Hunk’s voice came through the communicator.

 **“Get on!”** Was all he yelled, but it was enough. Shiro quickly made it to Keith’s side, but once he was there, he stopped dead in his tracks, a feeling of utter horror stabbing him in the chest.

Keith was unconscious, but that wasn’t the issue. It was how he looked. Underneath the visor of the helmet, Shiro saw it. The unmistakable tinge of purple in his skin and what could be seen of his hair, and a bright red mark curling around Keith’s left eye, trailing down to the corner of his mouth.

Shiro felt pain, fear, terror, disbelief. _Keith was a…Keith was a…_

Everything started spinning.

Everything started blurring.

_What…why…?_

_Keith wasn’t human…!_

He stopped breathing…? Or was he breathing too much…?

_But…but that mark…that red mark…?!_

_What mark?! What was that…?! How…why?!_

He was freezing…why was he sweating so much…?!

“Shiro!” A voice yelled at him, “Shiro we have to go!”

_Who was…Hunk…? Why was Hunk…? Hunk?! Hunk!_

Shiro drew back from the panic attack the instant he realized Hunk wasn’t speaking from the communicators. He looked back and saw Hunk standing there in the Yellow Lion’s mouth, gesturing frantically for him to get on.

That’s right…They had to leave. But Keith…

He looked back at the unconscious Galra. A terrifying part of Shiro wanted to leave him behind. He didn’t want anything to do with any more of these, these _monsters_ . But Keith…Keith was different…he saved Shiro, he helped him, he had been ready to die. Keith wasn’t…Keith wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t like _them_!

With those thoughts in mind, Shiro threw his arms forwards and picked Keith up, but unable to bring himself to look at the person in his arms. His heart and mind were both racing with a million questions and a million different emotions. But that could wait. It had to wait. They had to go. He had to get Keith out of here!

He snatched the red bayard, and Rover followed quickly as he dashed into the Yellow Lion. Behind him, Sendak screamed once more, and the Yellow Lion closed its mouth, cutting off Shiro’s gaze of him.

The lion moved away, Shiro staying where he was, not daring to move any further as he held onto Keith as realization of everything seemed to set in.

_**Keith was a Galra.** _

Shiro shut his eyes, wishing and wishing that this was just a nightmare. That none of this was real. He couldn’t take much more of this. He just couldn’t.

The last thing he heard before he blacked out was the sound of a thunderous explosion, and the worried beeping of the little robot by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I killed Sendak and Haxus already. Mwahahahaha. Reason being I have a few other plans for the Fall of the Castle of Lions chapters, and also, they killed Rover, my poor baby robot. How dare they. I liked Rover. A lot.


	5. Perspectives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coran observes people. That's it. That's the summary. 
> 
> Beta'd by Mikiri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit I had some trouble with this chapter. I love Coran, but is much harder to write than I thought he would be, probably because it's pretty hard to see him as more than comic relief in the show, given most of the scenes he's involved in. Seriously I can count the number of times he wasn't treated as comic relief on two hands. But as part of the team, there was no way he was getting left out so I had to make it work. Fortunately, disaster did not happen so I'm good. Anyway, as usual, hope you like the chapter.

It had been mere moments after Coran returned to the main control room from the medical bay, having ensured the Galra prisoners that Pidge and Shiro had freed were safely healing in the pods, when the Blue and Green Lions arrived in their designated hangars, and their paladins hastily made their way to the main control room.

"Where's Hunk and the others?!" The small one, Pidge, demanded upon entry. Allura turned to them with a worried look in her eyes. She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted by the communicator screen appearing, Hunk’s face coming into view.

**“Allura! I’ve got Shiro and Keith!”** Hunk exclaimed, **“The Galra ship just exploded behind us, but we’re okay! We’ll be back soon!”**

“The ship exploded?!” Coran shouted incredulously, finding it just a tad hard to believe, “How did you manage that?!”

**“It wasn’t me, Shiro and Keith did that.”**

“So that’s why Keith told us to retreat so urgently…” Pidge mumbled as he folded his arms across his chest (Now, Coran was sure he was female, but since he had no idea of Earth pronoun traditions he was sticking with the masculine pronouns until further notice, won’t want to offend the youngling after all).

“Wait, if they’re with you why aren’t they in the cockpit?” Lance asked. Raising his eyebrows, Coran looked again. That was a good question Lance. From what he could see, the largest Earthling appeared to be alone in there.

Hunk bit his lip, seeming rather uncomfortable when presented with the question before he answered.

**“They’re below the cockpit. I know they managed to get on, but Keith seems to be in bad shape and unconscious. I thought maybe Shiro stayed down there to keep an eye on him, but he hasn’t answered me when I tried to talk to him.”**

“That’s…rather concerning.” Coran said, feeling a slight tightening in his chest.

“It is.” Allura agreed, “But right now, we have to be content that they’re at least with you. We will all be heading down to the Yellow Lion’s hangar shortly to meet you there.”

**“Yeah** **,** **okay. See you in a bit.”** Hunk replied before they disconnected from one another. As Allura properly shut off her end of the link, the two Earthlings glanced at each other with looks of apprehension and worry. Still, Coran had to say he was a lot more impressed with these ones than he had thought he would be. He’d had his doubts about half-trained cadets from a planet with primitive technology, but they proved to be far more resourceful than expected.

“You all stay here and take care of things for me okay?”

Coran looked back up and noticed Allura was speaking to the little mice resting on the control panel, who all squeaked at her in return. He guessed it was agreement, for the Princess merely smiled a smile of gratitude. Honestly, he was a little confused about the mice, he didn’t recall seeing those critters on the day of he and Allura were sealed away, but then again, his memories could be fuzzy after sleeping all those years.

Allura then turned back to the rest of them, only giving a firm nod. It was enough to get the message across. A few short ticks later, and they were off.

They arrived in the Yellow Lion’s hangar not long after the Yellow Lion itself had arrived, already landed with its mouth open wide to allow its pilot and passengers to debark. Hunk was there as well, helmet off and standing just outside the mouth, but even from a distance, Coran noticed something strange about the large Earthling’s posture. It was as if he was…confused? Scared? Coran couldn’t decide.

There was also another concern, which was the fact that neither Shiro nor Keith were visible to them.

“Hunk! You’re okay!” Lance immediately shouted upon seeing his friend, running over quickly and throwing his thin arms around the larger boy’s frame, “Oh man I was worried for you for a moment there thank everything you’re okay!!”

“Heck yeah!” Pidge added, joining in their mini celebration, “We were _both_ worried about you guys!”

Pidge gave Lance a slight nudge, a shooting him a look, just as a small, triangular droid then popped out from behind them, and Pidge let out a cry.

“Rover! You're okay too!” The droid hovered into his arms, and he released Hunk momentarily to cuddle it. Hunk didn't seem to mind, giving them a weak smile.

“Thanks guys, but I think the situation just became a whole lot more complicated.” Hunk told them. This, of course, confused the rest of them.

“How can this get more complicated?” Pidge questioned, still cuddling the droid as his lips turned down in what almost resembled a pout, though a tad more serious, “We blew up their ship. There’s no way it’s…”

“It’s not about the enemies we just fought Pidge,” Hunk cut in, looking quite a bit upset, “the problem is not knowing if who we’re facing next is an enemy or not.”

“Huh?” Lance piped. Coran must agree.

“Hunk, can you please explain further? I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.” Allura requested, her features distorted by uncertainty. Coran admittedly shared her sentiments, but did his best to keep it off his face. Hunk looked up at her, pulling out of Lance's embrace, frowning even more.

“…Look, there isn’t any easy way to put it, but…” He began to say, but he trailed off, biting his lower lip. Normally, Coran would’ve chided anyone who did something like that, since it was horribly damaging to the lips, but he couldn’t find it in him to care about it this time.

“What is it Hunk?” Coran ended up asking, which made Hunk let out a _huge_ sigh. He averted their gaze, and Coran could’ve never predicted his next words.

_“Keith’s a Galra.”_

An unnatural cold washed over him so quickly, Coran hardly noticed it happening. One moment all temperatures were normal, and the next, his entire body felt as if it was encased in the core of the coldest ice planet to exist in the known universe. He was unable to keep the shock from his face, feeling his eyes widening and his brows furrowing, his lower jaw hanging open but the words being caught in his throat.

Wha…What…? How was that possible?

“Keith’s a what?!” Lance exclaimed in shocked disbelief. Hunk shook his head, starting to fiddle with his thumbs while still staring back at them.

Coran blinked, part of him not wanting to face the truth of it, but he knew he had to remain calm. He cast a sideways glance at Pidge and Allura, perhaps as a way to remind himself of why he could not lost his composure, and he noticed that both of them had similar expressions of horror, with a slight hint of additional resentment in Pidge’s, as the small Earthling’s grip on the droid tightened.

“A Galra?! But how?!” Pidge shouted sounding hurt and betrayed.

“I don’t know!” Hunk exclaimed in response, looking as if he was going to have a breakdown on the spot, “I just went down to try and get them out but I find them both unconscious and Keith doesn’t looks human anymore he has purple skin and hair and there’s this weird mark on his face that I don’t…”

“Hunk! Breathe!” Lance loudly cut him off, grabbing Hunk by one of the shoulders and giving him a light shake. That snapped Hunk out of his panicked state, jerking back at Lance’s shout.

“Sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Lance apologized, letting go of Hunk’s shoulder, “But seriously, calm down and breathe. Then explain a bit more.”

Had Coran not been so stunned by the revelation, he would’ve commended Lance for his excellence in relaxing his friend. Hunk took a few deep breaths like he was told, before he was calm enough to speak levelly.

“Okay, I’ll tell you guys what happened later.” He said, “But before that, can we get Shiro and Keith out of here? I don’t think this is the best place to talk about things.”

“Y-Yes, yes of course.” Allura said, clearly trying to adopt her brave façade that Coran knew all too well. However, having known the Princess for years, he was aware of just how upset she was at the news, and the stammer she tried to hide at first only confirmed it.

“Let’s take them to the infirmary.” She continued, “After they’re healed, we can question them properly.”

With that said, Lance, Hunk, and Coran himself gave her a firm nod and stepped inside the Yellow Lion, while Pidge remained with Allura. There was a small passenger chamber there, below the cockpit like Hunk had pointed out earlier, and sure enough, sprawled out on the floor, both unconscious, were Shiro and Keith, both lying on their sides, facing one another.

The instant Coran laid eyes on Keith’s appearance underneath the helmet, a spark of anger lit up inside him. After all, the Galra were the ones who had taken everything from himself and Allura, and were the reason his home, his neighbours, and his friends were all gone. But Coran forced himself to extinguish that spark before it could become a burning flame. Keith deserved the benefit of the doubt in this case, having risked his life for their cause. While the Red Lion hadn’t accepted him, the reason now being clear, he had also gone along with Shiro to ensure the mission was a success.

At least, that’s what Coran wanted to believe. Keith’s minor disappearance after the Red Lion rejected him, unfortunately, offered many suspicious possibilities Coran didn’t want to think about.

“Woah…so it is true…” Lance muttered, clearly unsure of what to make of the situation. Coran didn’t blame him. He felt the same.

“Yeah, this was how I found them when I came down to check on them.” Hunk informed, “I freaked out and wasn’t sure what to do, so I just left them here and waited for you guys to show up.”

Coran raised an eyebrow at Hunk’s tone. He seemed almost ashamed for what he did, though Coran saw no reason for that. Anyone would’ve acted like so if they were in his shoes.

“You did the right thing waiting Hunk.” Coran assured him, “We don’t know if they’ve sustained any serious injuries, so moving them alone could’ve been dangerous. Besides, I think it would’ve been harder to tell us about…” – Coran glanced at Keith’s unmoving form with a wince – “ _this matter_ if you were trying to get them out.”

Hunk didn’t seem convinced for some reason, but he shook his head.

“Thanks Coran.” He said, albeit a bit half-heartedly, “You two get Shiro, I’ll get Keith.”

“You sure buddy?” Lance asked, concerned. Hunk only nodded, turning towards Keith and kneeling down. Deciding it would be best to just carry on, Coran nudged Lance towards their shared task. That is, until Hunk yelped.

“Guys I…I think Keith’s bleeding!” He exclaimed, distracting Lance and Coran from their task.

“He’s what?!” Lance yelled as well, and Coran instantly dove down to check, eyes momentarily darting over to glance at Keith's face before he refocused his attention. Hunk had lifted Keith to a sitting position, and sure enough, there was a medium-sized gash that leaked dark blood, _Galra_ blood, in Keith’s side, where his body was unprotected by the white armor. Coran paled. The undersuit was made to withstand most types of damage. For it to have been torn through enough to harm Keith’s skin…he didn’t want to think about it. Fortunately, however, the gash itself wasn’t too deep, which was probably why Hunk hadn’t noticed the bleeding earlier until he

“It’s all right Hunk.” Coran told the nervous Earthling, “it’s not a fatal wound in any way. Some bandages and a while in one of the healing pods ought’a fix it right up.”

“Well...phew...at least there’s some good news…” Lance said, sounding serious but at the same time not quite so.

“Okay...okay…” Hunk's voice shook, “Then let's hurry. I don't want the injury to get worse.”

Coran helped Hunk get Keith into his arms, making sure Hunk supported the spine and didn't aggravate the wound any further. Once satisfied, Coran turned his attention back to helping the skinner Earthling with Shiro.

“Man, we're lucky this armor isn't too heavy, cuz Shiro's packing some serious muscle weight in here.” Lance commented in a carefree manner, though he still sounded quite uncertain. Coran didn't reply, opting to just raise an eyebrow and question it later. After all, how does one pack muscle weight? Was that an Earthling ritual of some sort?

However, Lance's comment did more than just confuse Coran's perception of Earth culture. He looked back over at Keith in Hunk's arms as he and Lance each took one of Shiro's arms over their shoulders (Coran noting that he had quite less trouble compared to Lance), frowning as new questions began to form in his head.

Keith was... _small_ for a Galra. Very small. From what Coran remembered, Galra usually towered over Alteans in terms of sheer size, regardless of which sub-species they were. Being larger and physically stronger was one of the most recognizable traits of the species, aside from the various shades of purple that coloured their appearances. Keith, to the contrary, was even shorter than most of the Earthlings, as well as both Allura and Coran himself. It was...strange, to say the least.

He wondered if it had something to do with the fact that Keith had been able to appear as an Earthling. Or perhaps Keith was, maybe, a lot younger than he appeared. The thought made Coran shudder slightly. Even most young Galra were at least just below the size of King Alfor. Any younger than that would've meant Keith was still a child. Coran truly hoped that wasn't the case.

Still, the strangest thing about it was that single red marking around Keith's left eye. Coran had gotten a glimpse of it before he had examined Keith's wound, and that one little detail was baffling him. He had never seen any sort of Galra race possess such markings, so he was unsure of what it meant. Was it a natural part of his appearance, or something else entirely?

Of course, letting one's head drift up to the skies had consequences. Coran stumbled as he and Lance stepped out of the Yellow Lion, earning him a panicked shriek from the skinny boy and almost dropping Shiro in the process.

“Coran!” Lance whined as they found their balance again. Coran responded with a sheepish grin.

“Oh no, sorry about that.”

Lance pouted, but didn't chide Coran any further, instead focusing on supporting Shiro the rest of the way. Allura and Hunk were already heading to the door, moving at a much more hurried pace, most likely to ensure Keith received treatment as soon as possible. Pidge lingered with the droid, most likely to provide support if it was needed.

“How’s Shiro?” Pidge asked, worried. His droid beeped, as if to ask the same question.

“He seems okay, but he’s not waking up.” Lance told him.

“There are no serious visible injuries, unlike Keith,” Coran added, “But just to be sure, we should get him to a pod as well, if only to monitor his condition until he wakes up.”

“Okay, let’s hurry then.” Pidge concluded. No objections were necessary. They couldn’t really move as fast the way they supported Shiro, though Coran carrying the muscular Earthling on his own wouldn’t have been appropriate, given the possibility of unseen wounds. As a result, they moved at a far slower pace than Coran was used to when transferring a patient to the medical bay, but it would have to do.

By the time they arrived at their destination, Hunk was laying Keith down on one of the medical bay’s levitating surgery tables, while Allura worked at the control panel. She immediately noticed when Coran stepped in with the two Earthlings and the unconscious Shiro, and quickly gave her orders.

“Coran, Lance, please place Shiro down on the table. We need to examine him for anything serious before we put him in the pod.”

“Right away Princess.” Coran said, but Lance seemed to have completely overestimated their technology.

“Can’t you just throw them in the pods and let them heal at once? Like those guys over there?” He asked, quite agitated, pointing (a little rudely) to the Galra prison escapees already recuperating in the other pods. Allura shook her head solemnly, taking it upon herself to deliver the explanation.

“I’m afraid it does not work that way Lance. The pods have never registered an Earthling’s biological structure, and if we were to put Shiro inside without checking him, the pod may cause complications if it turns out he's sustained any external injuries.”

“Also,” Coran added, “the armor you paladins are wearing isn't suitable for a healing pod. We will need to change them into proper attire for it, especially with Keith's injury.”

From the corner of his eye, Coran noticed how Allura winced at Keith's name, a frown marring her usually gentle features. However, she maintained her calm, the natural diplomat she was, and carried on.

“Lance, Pidge, could you both help me with Shiro?” She asked as she left the control panel, “I won't be able to get the armor off myself.”

“Ah! That's...ah…” Hunk exclaimed suddenly, pointing at random things in the air and making a series of incoherent noises. Coran raised an eyebrow.  

“What's the matter Hunk?” He asked, quite confused.

“Uh...I mean....” Hunk started, but he seemed to have noticed something happening behind Coran, who turned to look, but found nothing except Lance staring at the ceiling, gripping his arms and rubbing them slightly, with Pidge and Allura both giving him questioning looks.

“Uhhh never mind then!” Hunk half-yelled, making them focus their attention on him again. Well. That was an odd exchange if Coran ever saw one. Earthlings were weird little things.

If anything, though, the exchange did dispel some of the tension in the room, which was nice. Hopefully it lasted long enough for them to get the job done.

“Okay…” Allura said slowly at first, before shaking off her confusion and moving on, “Pidge, help me get his helmet off. Lance, hold Shiro up so I can get the chest plate off.”

“Sure thing Allura.” Pidge replied, he and Lance moving to get to work. Coran shrugged and turned to Hunk.

“Well, I suppose that means we'll have to help Keith out his armor. Come along Hunk.” He said. Hunk didn't object, merely nodding, but Coran didn't miss the way the Earthling was giving him a look of something he couldn't quite place. Caution perhaps?

“Is something wrong Hunk?” Coran decided to ask. Hunk didn't seem surprised at the question, but he didn't provide a solid answer.

“Can I talk to you about this later Coran?” Hunk sighed, “I just...right now isn't a good time.”

Ah. Surely it had to do with the whole _Galra Keith_ issue. Of course it would be brought up at some point by someone. Coran supposed there was no harm in talking about it.

“Of course Hunk. Now help me get the armor off will you? We will need to work fast.”

They removed the helmet first of course. Coran noted Keith's ears, which closely resembled Altean ears, but slightly longer. Another detail he noted was the fact that the ends of Keith's hair seemed to fade into a very light purple colour, almost white, despite most of his head being a deep violet. This was getting stranger and stranger.

Removing the armor off his arms and legs came next. Immediately, it revealed that Keith had in fact been carrying another weapon, a small dagger strapped to his thigh, positioned in a way that just barely hid it from sight due to the armor, but would've been easy to reach had Keith required to do so. Why he wanted to carrying around such a thing...well, it did not help with the suspicious part of Coran's mind.

Coran unstrapped the dagger and placed it on the floor under the table like they'd done with the armor. In doing so, he noticed another little thing; a smudge of Keith's blood on one of the leg pieces. He blinked, instantly recognizing what that meant, but chose to bring it up later.

Getting the chest plate and shoulder pads off was a tad more troublesome. Similarly to what had been done for Shiro, Hunk held Keith up while Coran removed the white piece of armor, careful to avoid the wounded area. It took a while, but otherwise Coran managed it.

Finally, Coran sent Hunk to fetch the medical kit from the corner of the room, giving him a quick description of what the kit looked like. Hunk compiled at once. Coran glanced over at the others while he awaited Hunk's return, and to his relief they'd gotten Shiro out of armor and Allura was inspecting him for injuries.

“How is he?” Coran asked, hoping to make a little light conversation, at least for the sake of relieving some of the tension.

“He seems to have received a few scrapes from battle, but nothing much more.” Allura reported without looking up, “I don't understand why he won't wake up though.”

“Maybe it's more of a psychological wound?” Pidge suggested. Allura turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

“A psychological wound?”

“Well yeah. I mean, he was captured and possibly tortured by the Galra. And he obviously saw Keith like that. It should be possible he passed out from the stress.”

“Probably.” Lance added on, expression solemn, “I mean the guy doesn't even have his memories intact. I think it's safe to say he's pretty traumatized.”

Allura winced, and Coran felt a sudden sense of pity for Shiro. Of course. Why hadn't he thought about that? Considering how similar the Earthlings seemed to Alteans, it should've been quite evident they had similar responses to severe stress.

For Shiro, to have been captured by the Galra and forced to endure who knew what horrors...well, Coran was quite sure he didn't want to think about it.

“Coran I got the kit!” Hunk called, interrupting the conversation before it could take a darker turn as he came jogging back with the white box in hand. Coran wasted no time, snatching up the thing, placing it on the empty corner of the table, and fishing out some scissors, gauze, and medicinal cream, ready to get back to work.

Luck did not seem to be on his side.

All of a sudden, Keith groaned and began to stir. Hunk squeaked, not unlike the mice really, in surprise.

“H-He's waking up!” He exclaimed, and Coran's head shot back up in alarm, only to see Hunk hunched over Keith and trying to talk to him.

“Keith! Keith can you hear me? Keith?”

Keith groaned again, moving a hand to cover the left side of his face. Coran quickly looked over at Allura's side, and he saw that Allura, Lance, and Pidge had all stiffened in apprehension, with Shiro still out cold. He frowned. He should do something, but found himself unable to move.

“...ugh...wha…?” Keith muttered, and Coran began to see a spot of glowing yellow appear on his face as his eyes opened. He seemed to stare up blankly for a moment, Hunk hovering over him in concern.

Then...oh for the love of _quiznak_.

Keith's eyes shot open as he sprang up from the table, harshly shoving Hunk out of the way, hard enough to send the large Earthling to the floor with a yelp. Pidge and Lance didn't hesitate to summon their bayards as Keith leapt away, but it was a futile attempt, as he quickly collapsed to his knees with one of his hands gripping his side, grunting in pain. The wound must've been worse than Coran thought. Pair that with the fact he'd just awoken, well, it wasn't good for him.

Lance pointed his gun at Keith, though he seemed somewhat hesitant, while Pidge looked fierce as he carefully approached with a battle-ready stance. Allura seemed rooted to the spot where Shiro was, looking both angry and worried, and Coran suspected she had some conflicts about confronting Keith. Coran himself certainly did.

“Guys wait!” Hunk suddenly cried out, scrambling to his feet and, to Coran's absolute surprise, ran over to Keith, dropping down to his own knees to match Keith's level.

“Keith, you're gonna re-open your wound. You need to take it easy.” He said, sounding genuinely worried as he reached out his hands, just stopping short before they made contact. Keith instantly shot him a glare, untrusting yellow eyes sending a chill down Coran's spine.

“...why’d you save me?” Keith finally said after a few ticks, his tone suspicious and hostile, “You saw what I am.”

Hunk frowned. “It wasn't me, Shiro carried you into the Yellow Lion.”

At those words, Keith's ears twitched upwards, and his expression lost all hostility. He looked over to where Allura and Shiro were, Pidge and Lance not far away. Lance had lowered his weapon, but Pidge had not. Coran then saw his ears shift downwards slightly instead (My, those were expressive), as his face became much more serious.

“Why would he of all people have done that…” Keith grumbled, averting his gaze, “What a complete idiot.”

“Keith seriously can we save the questions for later we need to treat your wound.” Hunk pleaded, gesturing to Keith's injured side.

“Hunk is right.” Coran said, clearing his throat, having been reminded of the task at hand, “It may not be too serious but if you're not careful…”

“Why are you trying to help one of your enemies?!” Keith snapped fiercely, cutting Coran off, “The Galra Empire murdered your entire species! What's wrong with you?!”

“Hey, they're trying to help!” Pidge yelled back, clearly offended, “You're the one who ran off out of nowhere and made Shiro go after you!”

“No one asked him to come after me! I would've done fine on my own! I…”

“ **_Enough!_ ** ” Allura commanded, silencing the argument as her hands clenched tightly into fists with a strict expression upon her face, one Coran recognized as the expression she adopted during her lessons on difficult negotiations with foreign planets, “Keith, regardless of your circumstances, we are willing to give you a chance to explain yourself. You are in no condition to fight us, so I ask that you get yourself treated at once before we proceed. However, if you resist, we will have no choice by to use force. I'm sure we both would prefer to avoid coming to that.”

Keith turned his glare upon her, but he didn't protest. He hung his head in defeat, gripping his side tighter, and sighed.

“Fine.” Was all he said.

Coran and Hunk helped Keith up back to the table, where he sat begrudgingly. Lance and Pidge both stowed their bayards, returning to help Allura get Shiro into a free healing pod, though Pidge seemed to occasionally glance over sharply. If Keith noticed, he didn't acknowledge it.

Coran cut the black undersuit around Keith's wound, peeling just enough away so that it wouldn't hinder the process of patching it up, but not enough to compromise decency. Keith squirmed slightly, but was otherwise relatively still.

Hunk mostly stood to the side, handing Coran the necessary tools when needed. He seemed rather wary around Keith, but otherwise a lot more comfortable than one would've expected of him, given his anxious nature. He watched Keith carefully, but in a more gentle way than what Pidge was displaying.

Keith hissed sharply when Coran applied the cream, revealing his short but sharp fangs. For a moment, Coran thought he would lash out, but Keith didn't, nor did he complain. He just hissed.

Well, at least that meant Coran himself wouldn't have much to complain about.

“You okay?” Hunk had asked.

“Yeah...it just stung a little.” Keith had told him in response. Coran had to say, he was impressed with how Hunk was handling things.

When they were finally done, Coran felt relief, but alas, it hardly lasted a tick.

“All right. Now if you'll step in the pod…” Coran started saying, but Keith's ears drooped down as he growled an objection.

“No.”

“What why not?” Hunk exclaimed, frowning. Keith scowled.

“I can heal on my own just fine. I don't need a pod.” He grunted, folding his arms across his chest.

“What are you scared we'd take you out while you're in there or something?” Lance taunted, though there did seem to be some hidden concern. Keith seemed to shrink back.

“No...I just don't like being in that thing.” He replied.  

“Wait...are you...claustrophobic…?” Hunk asked carefully. Keith turned to him, one ear perking up slightly, seemingly confused.

“Claus...what…?”

“Um, like, uncomfortable in small spaces…?” Hunk explained. Keith blinked again, then seemed to deflate.

“...yeah. Kinda.” He admitted, looking away.

There was a tick of silence. Coran supposed he would've found the situation rather funny under any other circumstance, but not right then. Truthfully, he wanted to protest, knowing the healing pod was Keith's best option, but to intentionally stick a conscious person, Galra or no, into a situation that made them uncomfortable was just... _wrong._

“Look,” Keith said again, “Just lock me in a separate room with handcuffs on if you're worried I'll attack the other patients or something. Just let me heal on my own.”

Behind him, Coran heard Allura sigh. “All right, if that’s what you really want. But I would like you to know that you're going to have to explain everything as soon as Shiro awakes. He deserves to be involved in this conversation after all. Is that clear?”

“Understood.” Keith replied firmly.

“Hey are you sure about this?” Hunk asked nervously, addressing Allura, “Isn't there a better way to do this?”

“It's fine.” Keith answered instead, “I asked for it anyway.”

“That's right.” Allura agreed, eyeing Keith with a look of unease, “And for now, before we understand your motives, we will next to take precautions. Hunk, I understand you may feel differently, but this is how things work. Coran, please fetch the cuffs. We'll all escort Keith to the confinement room.”

“I'm honoured.” Keith said bluntly, in a strong, sarcastic manner. Coran frowned. This was not the best time for him to be making silly jokes.

“Coran?” Allura said again, catching his attention.

“R-Right away Princess.” Coran then jogged to the corner of the room where they kept the medical kits, which was also the same compartment they kept the magnetic handcuffs, as well as the remote to activate the magnetic properties. You never knew when the stranger you've just put in the healing pod could turn out to be an enemy after all. Though in this case, it was for someone who completely refused a healing pod at all. Quite the ironic situation.

He scuttled back, and Keith allowed him to lock in the cuffs without any resistance. Once they were secure and the magnetism was activated, Allura turned the control panel off, placing all the pods into a special sleep mode to ensure the patients inside were able to relax as best they could.

“Let's go them.” She ordered, and they all left the room. As the doors began closing behind them, Coran noticed Keith quickly glance behind them, at the healing pod Shiro was in.

As they made their way to the confinement room, no one uttered a word. Lance, Pidge (who still had the droid hovering around him), and Hunk surrounded Keith as they walked, while Allura led them in the front. Coran trailed behind off behind the whole group, and he took the chance to carefully observe them all.

Allura maintained her composure, but the slight twitching of her hands revealed to Coran how uneasy the situation made her.

Hunk and Lance kept giving each other looks of uncertainty, worry, and nervousness every few ticks. They did seem to be the most open with their emotions within the group, as well as being the closest pair.

Pidge’s posture was rigid, and one hand remained almost unmoving near his thigh, clearly ready to summon his bayard if the need arose. The droid remained level as it hovered close.

Keith's shoulders were slumped, and his head was down. Anyone looking would be able to tell he was their prisoner, even if he had been fully in uniform and lacking in handcuffs.

And Coran himself? Well, he wasn't sure how he really felt about the whole thing. On the one hand, the horror, rage, and devastation of finding out his home system was destroyed by the Galra was still fresh, and yet, on the other hand, here he was just after treating a Galra, one who had even tricked them into believing he was Earthling, for whatever reason Coran was unaware. Also, Keith was without a doubt the strangest Galra he'd ever laid eyes on, with his diminished size, the colour oddities in his hair, and the presence of the red mark around his eye. Not to mention the possibility of Keith being no more than a child.

In summary, Coran was conflicted. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He had _genuinely_ wanted to help Keith, despite the circumstances, but some part of him also felt willing to toss the boy out into the nearest black hole. He was fortunate the majority of his emotional state was more of the former, but...well, it was puzzling, and very frustrating.

Overall, it was one of the most tense situations Coran ever found himself in, even more so than the time King Alfor almost declared war on a neighbouring planet after a serious violation of a peace treaty, or the time his grandfather caught a severe case of Pentapox and almost didn't make it. He couldn't help but hope they got over it soon.

Finally, they reached the confinement room. Allura unlocked it and turned on the lights. She stepped in, gesturing for Keith to follow. He glanced around the room, his shoulders stiffening, but otherwise complying without issue, while Coran waited with the paladins outside.

“You won't be able to leave his room without our clearance.” Allura informed Keith once he was inside, almost coldly, “For now, we will wait for Shiro to awaken, then we will question you. You are to remain here until then.”

“I wasn't planning on leaving Princess.” Keith replied, his tone just as cold as Allura's, “Trust me, even if I did, there isn’t anywhere for me to go.”

“Very well.” Allura ended the conversation there, turning and leaving the room. Once she was outside and the door was closed, she took the remote to the handcuffs from Coran, deactivating the magnetism. She then looked up to Coran and the rest, allowing her diplomatic façade to falter at last.

“...this is a problem.” Allura said, sounding absolutely exhausted, “I didn’t expect this at all.”

“None of us did.” Lance told her, “I mean, we met Keith on Earth, and he looked plenty human. Didn’t expect the Galra to have shapeshifting powers.”

“That’s part of the problem Lance.” Allura pointed out, “The Galra _don’t_ have such abilities.”

“What?” Pidge exclaimed, “Then how’d he manage to disguise himself like that?”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any clue.” Coran added, “Also, he doesn’t seem to be the average Galra. They’re generally not as small as he is, nor do any of them have strange markings on their faces or hair.”

“So what does that mean…?” Pidge asked again, folding his arms across his chest, frowning. The droid beeped again, hovering closer to his face, as if to calm him down. It seemed to work, just a bit.

Allura sighed. “I don’t know what this means, nor do we know what Keith’s intentions are. But in any case, the mission can still be considered an overall success, so we will wait for Shiro to awake for a proper debriefing before we interrogate Keith. For now, you paladins deserve your rest. Please go on to the lounge, we’ll prepare your individual rooms later.”

“Allura, Coran, you should really get some rest too.” Pidge said, “It’s been just as hard on you guys as it’s been on us after all.”

“I second that.” Lance agreed, “It might take a while for Shiro to wake up anyway, so forget about the rooms for a moment and just come relax with us?”

Both Allura and Coran were surprised at the offer. They glanced at each other, contemplating.

“Pidge and Lance are right,” Hunk piped up, “It won't be good if you two overwork yourselves.”

“Come on, we can take the chance to get to know each other maybe?” Lance suggested, giving them a bit of a hopeful grin, as well as successfully relieving some of the tension, for which Coran was silently grateful.

“Well…” Allura paused, sighing, “All right then. I suppose I could use a quick rest. Coran?”

“I'm not opposed to it.” Coran replied, shrugging. Frankly, he too felt that a break was in order, but he wasn't sure if leaving things unattended was a good idea. Still, what else could happen right?

“Okay then it's settled!” Lance declared, “Let's head to this lounge of yours.”

“Just a moment Lance,” Allura said, stopping him, “I would like to head back to the main control room and pick up the mice. The poor things must be lonely back there. You call can go on ahead.”

“Oh, well, sure then.”

Coran raised his eyebrows. Oh dear, he had personally forgotten about the tiny critters. Better keep that little detail to himself now.

“Can I come with you Allura?” Pidge asked, the droid beeping next to him, “I kinda want to ask you something.”

“Oh. Of course Pidge. Coran, can you go along ahead with Lance and Hunk?”

“Very well Princess. Just don't take too long now.” Coran replied, earning him a smile from his charge.

“Thank you Coran. Come on then Pidge.”

And off they went, little droid hovering after them. Coran turned to the other two. “Right, let's be off.”

They got the the lounge rather quickly, given that it was only one floor above the confinement room and healing chamber, and the lounge was conveniently located right next to the elevator they had taken. Once inside, Coran flipped a switch, turning on the lights and air conditioning. Lance promptly collapsed onto a sofa quite dramatically while Hunk sat down into a comfortable position with much more grace. Coran allowed himself the slightest of chuckles before he joined them.

“Oh man...these couches are nice…” Lance mumbled, his voice partly muffled due to his face being pressed against the cushions. Coran had to say, having Lance around was quite the effective stress reliever. However, there were still some other things on his mind. He turned to the other Earthling in the room.

“So Hunk, what was it you wanted to talk about earlier?”

Hunk flinched, probably not expecting the question to be brought up, but he quickly relaxed his body with a sigh (everyone had been doing a lot of that lately now, weren’t they?). He faced Coran with a look of seriousness, and even Lance seemed to feel it, as the skinner Earthling had looked up, watching his friend in silence.

“I...I don’t know.” Hunk started to say, “I wanted to ask you how you felt about Keith.”

“I suspected that to be the case, yes. What exactly do you want to know?”

“Well...how should I say this…? I mean, you only just found out today that your whole planet and solar system was destroyed by the purple aliens, the Galra, and Keith is...well, he was pretending to be human, and ended up here with us. Don’t you feel...I don’t know…”

“ _‘Resentful’_ , perhaps?”

Hunk gulped at his word of choice, but nodded nonetheless. Coran leaned forwards, elbows resting on his knees as one of his fingers began twirling the end of his moustache out of habit as he began to explain himself.

“If I were to be a hundred percent honest with you Hunk, I did in fact feel a spot of hatred upon finding out about this. But I’ve also worked closely with the Galra before, back when our planets were at peace.”

“Woah, woah, wait,” Lance cut in, shooting upwards and supporting his upper body with his arms, “you guys were once at peace with those guys?!”

“Yes, we were.” Coran confirmed, “Zarkon was one of our greatest allies even. Clearly, that was not to last.”

He paused to take in a breath. “Back to the situation at hand, I must say I’m not sure about how I feel about it right now. I do want to be fair to Keith, given what he’s done during the mission, and how honest he seemed earlier in the healing chamber, but I also can’t find it in myself to trust him so easily. He _is_ suspicious, after all he pretended to be one of you Earthlings for whatever reason, which is still a baffling factor on its own, but until we hear his explanation, I don’t think I can come to a proper conclusion about it all.”

Hunk and Lance glanced at each other again. It always seemed as if they shared some telepathic communication abilities, but somehow Coran doubted it was the case. A tick passed, and their gazes were back on him.

“Thanks for talking to us about it Coran.” Hunk said, “I guess I feel a little better about it now.”

“Yeah me too.” Lance agreed, dropping back down onto the sofa. .

Coran raised an eyebrow. “You know, you boys haven’t exactly told me what concerns you had about all this…”

“Well, it’s just…” Hunk replied, “We didn’t know what to think about Keith when we met him two days ago. He told us he was from the Garrison,” - Coran shot him a look of confusion at the name - “ah, our college back on Earth. Anyway, he said he was a student like us, but got kicked out a year ago. We actually started getting suspicious back then, cuz we heard that the Keith that got expelled returned to his family in another country.”

“Either way, that would’ve been completely untrue.” Lance pointed out, looking up again, “If our Keith was the same guy that got booted, then he wouldn’t even have had ‘another country’ on Earth to go back to, unless evil aliens are hiding there somewhere. But he told us he was holed up in a dusty old shack in the middle of nowhere the whole time.”

“Is that right?” Coran mumbled, stroking his moustache again, “That certainly make things a tad more complicated.”

“If that's the case we definitely need to get to the bottom of this.”

Coran jumped a bit at the additional voice of Allura. He turned to see the Princess enter the room with Pidge and the droid, with the mice resting on her shoulders comfortably.

“Right now,” Allura continued, “if I may repeat myself, Keith's true intentions are unknown to us. We will need to know why he was on Earth, and what he was planning to do.”

“Well, whatever it is,” Pidge added, “he better have a good explanation for this.”

“Pidge.” Allura gave him a look, and he responded with a bit of a pout, but otherwise displayed no objections. The two then walked over to join the rest of them.

“Scoot over Lance!” Pidge exclaimed as he shoved Lance's legs off the sofa, throwing him halfway off and forcing him to scramble to keep the rest of his body from sliding off, before he sat down in their place. Lance shot Pidge a glare, which only made the shorter Earthling smirk at him.

“So...how will we know when Shiro wakes up?” Hunk brought up.

“I can use a function on my suit to do that,” Allura pointed at her wrist, “I'll be able to know when one of the pods have deactivated while I'm wearing this, as my suit is connected to the castle's systems.”

“When she's not wearing it, however,” Coran shrugged, “we don't have much choice but to manually go down and check them ourselves every now and again. If that was the case, we can only hope whoever was inside didn't wander off.”

“.........Okay you really need a proper notification system for that.” Pidge stated bluntly, an unimpressed look on his face.

“Well if you could come up with something like that please go right on ahead.” Coran scoffed, the tiniest bit offended, but not being in a position to disagree. He should add such a system in, shouldn't he?

“I'll take you up on the offer.” Pidge grinned as his droid settled down on his lap.

The next several few minutes or so were spent in pleasant silence, everyone just sitting around, each to their own thoughts. Coran laid his head back on the sofa cushions, his gaze directed at the ceiling. He supposed the exhaustion of the day had finally caught up with him, as his mind felt blank and was drifting towards the clouds...he could hardly even recall any incidents of experiencing such light-headedness.

Coran glanced over at Allura through the corner of his eye. She too, seemed to be quite dazed, but otherwise alright. She was leaning back, watching the mice playing with one another in her hands, and she occasionally let out a quick and quiet laugh when they did something silly. It was good to know she was feeling better, even if only by a small amount. Allura was more than just his charge after all. Having lived with her so long as a mentor and her father's advisor, it was inevitable that Coran develop a strong sense of kinship with her. He loved her as much as her own father did, as if she were his daughter as well. And from their conversation back when the paladins were searching for the Yellow and Green Lions, it was a blessing to know she felt just as strongly towards him.

Coran looked away, turning his focus back towards the ceiling. As he thought about the lions however, it reminded him of something. Now that Keith was rejected by the Red Lion...what were they to do about it? Even if they could unlock the Black Lion now, without a paladin for the Red Lion, what chance did they have of forming Voltron?

Apparently, Pidge seemed to have the same thoughts.

“Hey Allura, Coran? Are we going to be able of fight the Galra without all the lions?”

And with that, the solemn atmosphere depended upon them.

All eyes turned to the shortest Earthling at once. Instantly, looks of unease and worry appeared on everyone's faces, while Pidge himself did not look up, staring down at the droid still sitting on his lap, with his hands holding it gently.

“Way to ruin the moment Pidge…” Lance said, but if it was meant as a mocking or malicious comment, it lacked any strength to it. Pidge seemed to take no offence, but finally looked up.

“I know Lance, but let's be honest, one of us was bound to ask eventually.” He reasoned. Lance averted his gaze.

“Yeah but...I was hoping to put it off for a little longer.”

“Well the longer we put it off, the longer we are without a plan of action. We might as well get it over with.”

“I'm afraid Pidge is right.” Coran spoke up, “Without the Red Lion, Voltron can't be formed. And we don't have a candidate for its paladin aside from Keith, whom it has already rejected.”

“Can’t either you or Allura be the paladin?” Hunk asked, “Both of you know the lions better than any of us, why can't you pilot them?”

“I'm afraid it's not that simple.” Allura took over, “Remember, the Red Lion is the most temperamental of them all. It is extremely particular about choosing its paladin, and neither Coran nor I fit its expectations.”

“Had it been any of the other lions,” Coran carried on, “perhaps it would've been easier for one of us to take over the role. But unfortunately that is not the case. Even back when we were searching for the original Paladins of Voltron, the Red Lion took the absolute longest to find a suitable pilot.”

“Great, we're stuck then.” Lance grumbled. No one responded. It was the harsh truth, and nothing they said could deny that.

Just then, Allura's wristband beeped. She jumped slightly, startling the mice, who all scurried off her palms onto the sofa.

“One of the healing pods has deactivated. It's probably Shiro.” She reported, standing up. Well, that was a lot faster than Coran had anticipated.

“Then we better hurry back.” Pidge suggested, shooting up as well. The droid returned to hovering obediently by his side. Allura, sparing a moment to bend down and allow the mice to climb onto her hands, transferring them back to their usual place on her shoulders, nodded firmly.

“Yes we should. Let's go.”

They were at the medical bay within a minute or two. Shiro was indeed the one who had stumbled out of his pod, sitting there shivering on the steps to the lowered platform. His pod had already sunken down into the floor, automatically beginning its recharge.

“Shiro!” Pidge cried as he rushed over at once with Lance and Allura. While they made sure Shiro didn’t entirely collapse on them, Coran pulled Hunk along, quickly making their way to supplies corner, where he yanked open a larger compartment next to the one where they kept the handcuffs. From it, he pulled out two large blankets, tossing one to Hunk, who yelped as he caught it. Coran quickly snatched a packet of dried medicinal herbs as well, hoping he could prepare it later if necessary, before they hurried back to where the rest were.

“Here, to warm you up.” Coran said as he and Hunk wrapped the blankets around Shiro’s shivering form. He didn’t say anything in reply, still seeming rather dazed, but otherwise was coherent enough to give them a nod of thanks.

“Shiro, how are you feeling?” Allura asked, “Just give me a nod or a shake of the head to answer. Any headaches?”

Shiro shook his head slowly.

“Physical pain in your body?”

Another head shake.

“Can you see and hear clearly?”

A pause. Shiro then looked up, blinking. Then he nodded. Allura let out of a breath of relief.

“Good, at least that means there was none of the potential side effects.” She said, “In any case, you’ll be fine soon, Shiro. We have a lot to talk about.”

At that, Shiro’s expression became downcast. He looked down, hands gripping the edges of the blankets and pulling them closer to his body. He cleared his throat rather loudly, as if to test if it was working right.

“Where’s…Where’s...Keith…?” He tried saying, his voice coming out mostly normal, but soft. Coran felt himself flinch at his question, and everyone else glanced at one another uneasily.

“Shiro, how much do you remember? From before you passed out?” Pidge asked him. Shiro looked up at him, a bit of a pained expression visible.

“I remember everything that happened on the Galra ship Pidge.” He answered, “But that’s not all I remembered.”

“Wait, you remembered something?” Lance exclaimed incredulously.

“Lance! Don’t interrupt!” Pidge snapped, making the skinny Earthling reel back at the sharp tone, before he turned back to Shiro, “What is it you remember Shiro?”

“While I was unconscious...I sort of...had a dream...A flashback actually, and I, I remember...” Shiro trailed off for a moment, groaning, as he ran a hand through the tuff of white hair on his head. Coran and the others remained silent in anticipation, waiting for him to speak. Even the mice refused to let out a single squeak, and Pidge’s little droid hovered there without a beep.

Shiro took a deep breath before he finally continued. “I remember where I met Keith. It was back on a Galra ship, one that wasn’t a battleship for war, though I can’t remember exactly what it was for. Keith was the Galra soldier that guarded my cell.”

“Keith was a soldier under Zarkon’s command?!” Allura exclaimed, drawing back with an unreadable expression on his face. Shiro nodded solemnly.

“So we really can’t trust him after all?” Hunk asked nervously. Coran was about to open his mouth to answer, but Shiro reacted much faster.

“No!” He shouted, “No, you can trust him. I know this doesn’t seem like it makes sense, but Keith...Keith is different from the other Galra. He was the reason I managed to escape and return to Earth.”

“What?!” Pidge, Lance, and Hunk all exclaimed at once. Coran himself felt his eyes widening at the revelation, looking merely stunned.

“Listen, I don’t remember all of it,” Shiro admitted, “there are still a lot of missing spots in my memories, but I promise I’m telling the truth. One day, Keith got me out of the cell, saying he was under orders to...to...argh, to do _something_ , but next thing I can remember, I’m running into an escape pod alone, with him wishing me good luck as he disappeared somehow, then...then it was me crash landing back on Earth.”

“But...But that still doesn’t explain how he got to Earth!” Lance pointed out, “If he was still on the ship when you escaped, how’d he get to Earth early enough to set up all those conspiracy theories and notes on that wall of his?! Not the mention all the high-tech equipment and that hovercraft thing!”

“I don’t know Lance. But it doesn’t change the fact that the only reason I was ever able to make it out of there was because Keith was with me. And I...I escaped on my own, and left him behind…”

Coran could see the panic attack starting as soon as those words left Shiro’s mouth. When one was an advisor to a king, you saw your share of wars, as well as the state soldiers may end up in after the battles. It was a sorrowful sight. He didn’t want to let Shiro experience it.

Making sure Shiro could see it coming, Coran placed a careful hand on Shiro’s shoulder. As expected, the former Galra prisoner flinched at his touch, but didn’t lash out. He turned to look up at Coran with slightly confused eyes.

“Now, now Shiro,” Coran assured, “Regardless of where you last saw Keith in your memories, you should know he is already safe with us.” - Shiro’s eyes widened with some hints of both relief and hopefulness in them. - “We’ve kept him in a separate confinement room at his request, sort of, and he’s resting up. Don’t worry, we haven’t harmed him, he was rather cooperative the whole time so we haven’t had to resort to force.”

“I...I see…” Shiro said, dropping his gaze once again. He really seemed exhausted, and rather defeated.

“Right, for now, why don’t we return to the lounge?” Allura suggested, “You can properly relax yourself for a while, before we can begin interrogating Keith.”

“Interrogating?” Shiro repeated, looking anxious again, “Why?”

“It’s just procedure Shiro.” Allura promised, frowning, “I realize what this means to you, but the fact is we still have many unanswered questions surrounding Keith, and we need to know what his intentions are. Even if he helped you to escape, like Lance mentioned earlier, it does not explain why he was on your planet.”

“Oh.”

Shiro visibly deflated at that. Pidge’s droid hovered over to him, seemingly concerned. He looked up at it when it beeped at him.

“Looks like Rover’s worried about you Shiro.” Pidge commented. Shiro stared at the droid, _Rover_ , as Pidge called it, for a tick longer. Then, he pushed himself to his feet.

“Allura, where are you keeping Keith?” He asked. This surprised Coran quite a bit, and that same surprise didn’t seem lost to the rest.

“Shiro, I think it’s best if you rest yourself first.” Allura told him (honestly, she was quite the one to talk, knowing her). But Shiro shook his head.

“Please Princess, I need to speak with him. There’s...I need to confirm something with him. Please.”

He was almost pleading. This surely meant a lot to him. Coran sighed, turning to Allura.

“Princess, perhaps it would be best if we allowed him some time to talk to Keith first? It’s likely that he’ll be able to get the most information out of him, and we can monitor them from the outside.“

Shiro seemed displeased at the notion, but didn’t protest against it. Coran hoped it meant he understood that this was the best he could offer. Allura regarded Coran for a moment, before she gave in.

“Very well. Then let us return to the confinement room now.”

“Thank you Princess.” Shiro said, but she waved him off.

“You should thank Coran, Shiro.” She said, “It was his suggestion after all.”

Coran raised his eyebrows. Well that was a surprise, but he noticed the look Allura was giving him, one he recognized as a very familiar look of something between gratitude and exasperation. He allowed himself a quick smile.

“No need for thanks Shiro. I was just trying to find some equal ground for you two to tread on.” He said. But Shiro didn’t seem to accept that too easily.

“Thanks anyway Coran.”

Coran scoffed.

They all walked back (they were doing a lot of walking back and forth that day weren’t they?) to the confinement room, and as soon as they got to the door, Shiro seemed to try and mentally prepare himself.

“You doing okay Shiro?” Pidge asked.

“Yeah you shouldn’t push yourself.” Hunk agreed.

“I’m fine guys, thank you.” Shiro promised, “So, here goes…”

Coran gave Allura one last glance, to confirm things, and he opened the door. Shiro walked inside, and when Coran peeked inside, he wasn’t sure if he was surprised or not at the the sight of the very _Earthling-looking_ Keith that sat in the corner of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, next chapter is finally the Keith chapter (AKA the chapter that should've happened a few weeks ago given he's the main character of this fic but due to reasons...>_>)! Hope you'll look forward to it! In the meantime, leave me comments and ask me questions. Seriously, please. Apparently people asking questions also help me remember to avoid plot holes, so please. Thanks!


	6. Prisoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's POV that honestly should've come long ago. Contains a lot of flashbacks, and minor mentions of racism. Also Ben 10 alien species because I'm not creative enough to come up with them on my own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay for the love of cheesecake I'm so sorry this is late! I meant to post this last week but I ran into a lot of editing issues because Keith is honestly so hard to write at the moment. At least I finally got it done. (PSA: My beta reader Mikiri is so helpful thank you.)
> 
> That said, I need to let you guys know that this would be the last chapter I will be able to post for a few weeks. You see, school has started up again for me, and since I'm a third year now, it means I'm now doing my Final Year Semestral Project, which is a really major holographic projection project with motion sensor controls (I study media with animation and programming involved, in case you were curious). There's also a separate video involved. Since this is a full-semester kinda project, and all school days are now 8am to 6pm, my time left for writing is really limited, so I'm not sure how often I can continue posting. I'll still be writing when I can, but given how long my chapters tend to get plus the sometimes-tedious editing I do, each chapter probably could now take about a month to be complete. So for now, weekly updates will be set to monthly, if only to give myself a timeline to try and follow, but over the next few weeks my school workload may increase, so writing time may be cut even further. I'm sorry about this, but please understand. 
> 
> Anyway thanks for following me through the first few chapters during what had been left of my freedom at the time. (Does that sentence make sense???) Please, please don't hesitate to tell me what you think of this chapter, it's been the hardest one to write yet and I would really love some more feedback on it. Also, as previously mentioned, comments help me stay motivated and avoid plot holes. So please leave comments. Thanks everyone!

**** Keith sat on the floor of the empty room, his knees pulled up to his chest as he rested his arms on them. Without really thinking about it, he tapped the white metal of the handcuffs with a finger. He still wasn't sure why they stopped working so suddenly, but he wasn't one to complain. They were already treating him much better than he'd expected, so he would rather  _ “enjoy” _ it for as long as it lasts. Honestly though, he still wasn’t sure why they hadn’t left him to the harshness of empty space. He knew the Galra would’ve.

It really hadn’t been long since he left, though he had lost track of exactly how long. He didn’t particularly miss it, but leaving had left him with a feeling of isolation and emptiness. Sure, he never really felt like he belonged with all the other soldiers, but at least he had had a place among them somehow, even as an outcast. But after his betrayal, well, what was left for him? The Galra didn’t take kindly to traitors, they’d kill him the moment he tried to go anywhere near them if they knew he was the one who helped their precious Champion to escape. And it wasn’t as if any other species would allow a former Galra soldier among them, not with their terrible reputation.

Keith groaned loudly in frustration, roughly running his hands through his messy hair, which was now a colour only a shade lighter than pure black. What had he been thinking? After working so hard all his life to try and find himself a place in the Empire, forcing himself to commit countless heinous acts in order to feel even slightly accepted, and what does he do? He goes and throws it all away, condemning himself to a pathetic  life , all for what? Some weird Earthling his superiors found on an ice moon. 

The stupidest part? Keith didn’t entirely regret it. He couldn’t deny that he had wanted to leave long ago. He had wanted to stop contributing to the horrors his kind had become infamous for , but leaving on his own was nothing short of  _ impossible _ . Thanks to Shiro, however, he had been able to escape. 

A lot of good that did. All it had done was to get him thrown  into an adventure with more  unattainably high expectations, a dangerous infiltration mission to get back a robotic lion which had rejected him, causing his failure to retrieve it, and now he was trapped, taken prisoner by the very people he had hoped to help.

……..The urge to slam his head into the wall was strong.

Suddenly, the door slid open, and Keith instinctively stiffened. He hadn't expected them to return to check on him so soon. Upon seeing who his visitor was (though he did notice the peering eyes of a few others just outside), all feelings of animosity faded, replaced with confusion and surprise.

“Shiro? What are you doing here?” He asked, suddenly thankful he had decided to adopt his Earthling appearance. Shiro, however, hardly seemed to acknowledge the question, moving closer to him, then taking a seat on the floor in front of Keith. The whole time, his gaze didn't wander away from Keith's form. Truthfully, it was making Keith feel extremely unnerved. It...It brought up unwanted memories of his life back with the Empire. 

Keith frowned , h e didn't want to think of that right now. 

“Shiro?” Keith tried again, hoping he would get a response this time. Shiro stared at him, almost blankly, for a few more ticks, before he finally said something.

“Why...do you look human…?”

Keith felt his stomach drop. It wasn’t exactly because of the question asked, but instead because of  _ how _ it was asked. It sounded as if Shiro was... _ relieved _ at the mere thought of him looking even remotely like an Earthling...relieve that he didn't look...

...But then again, what else was he supposed to expect? 

“I…”  Keith replied with a sigh, “I just thought it’d be better if it wasn’t as obvious that I’m a Galra. You guys seemed more at ease when I look like this. Especially you.”

Shiro didn’t deny it. He quickly looked uneasy, which said a lot on its own. Keith couldn’t say he blamed them though, his true appearance wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight to the others,  especially after the dangerous mission they had been forced into earlier that day, and obviously, to the Alteans, his purple skin and hair would be nothing more than a reminder of his kind being responsible for the destruction of their homes. But to Shiro, who had been thrown into multiple life-or-death situations but the Galra to satisfy their entertainment...Keith didn’t want to see what kind of reaction Shiro  would have . 

“I’m sorry.” Shiro said, looking ashamed of the fact that Keith’s appearance was too much for him, “You shouldn’t have to hide how you look. I…”

Keith shook his head quickly, cutting him off. “It's no big deal. It’s not hard to maintain this form, anyway. So, did they send you in here to start  the interrogation ?”

Shiro turned to look back up at him, eyes serious. “No Keith. I asked to speak to you first. I have a few questions I needed to ask you.”

“Questions? I thought that was what  interrogation was for.” Keith deadpanned, giving Shiro a look, Shiro frowned. 

“Keith please. I need you to talk to me about what happened back when I was still captured by the Galra. I remember now, you were the soldier guarding my cell, and you were the one who helped me escape, weren’t you?”

At those words, Keith positively  _ froze. _ Shiro actually remembered him now? For real? He stared straight at Shiro, his mind suddenly unable to process a response. He shouldn’t  have  been so stunned, but for some reason he was. He probably stopped expecting, no,  _ hoping  _ that Shiro would remember him at some point, so for Shiro to remember now…Keith no longer knew how to feel. 

“Keith…?” Shiro’s voice sounded shaky, and Keith blinked, still unsure of what to say. So, he just groaned, shoving his face into his hands, allowing the frustrated part of him to take control for a moment. 

“...you  picked ...right now...to remember…” Keith grumbled, his words probably muffled by his hands, but he hardly cared. He kinda wanted to punch Shiro in the face, but that was most likely a bad idea. 

“K-Keith…? Are you okay?” Shiro sounded concerned. Keith huffed, raising his head. 

“Yeah...fantastic.” Keith sighed, calming himself as he went on to straightening his posture, moving to cross his legs and properly face Shiro, “All right fine. I don't exactly have a reason to hide what I know anymore. But, it's a long story, and I don't want to repeat myself. I might as well tell everyone else as well.”

“Are...are you sure?” Shiro asked him uncertainly, but Keith gave him are firm nod. 

“Yeah that's fine. They were going to ask me questions about it anyway.” 

“Okay then. Should I get them in here?”

“You might want to ask the Princess that instead of me. I  don't exactly have a say in that decision.”

“R-Right.”

With that, Keith watched Shiro stand up and walk to the door. There was an edge of nervousness his posture, and his pace was a little uneven. Keith didn't comment.

The door opened before Shiro reached it. The Princess stepped inside, a small device in her hand, one that Keith recognized as the same device Coran had used for his handcuffs earlier. Maybe that was why the things had stopped working, they had been deactivated. Shiro seemed only slightly startled by her, but not really surprised. 

“Well, we've heard your conversation Shiro.” She stated, “If Keith would like to speak with us as well, I would suggest we all move to the dining room.” 

Keith immediately felt like he was just stabbed in the chest. So...the others been listening in somehow, and Shiro hadn't thought to say a word about it. Sure, he had known the rest had been lingering behind the door, but he made the wrong assumption of thinking he and Shiro would have had some privacy to talk. This made Keith's chest tighten uncomfortably, but he gritted his teeth and shook his head to rid himself of such pointless thoughts as Allura turned to him. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to do that fast enough to stop his mood from darkening.

“Keith, would that be  alright with you?” She asked. Keith didn't answer for a moment, observing her. She stood stiffly, shoulders tense and hands clenched together. She didn't smile, and her eyes lacked any visible emotion, but watched Keith closely. 

Keith knew what all this meant. She didn't trust him, that was plain and simple. None of them did, did they? Keith recalled the bits of the conversation the Earthlings had had with one another back on their home planet, inside his run-down hideout. They were uneasy and suspicious around him, and that wasn't going to change. Even Shiro…

Keith squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head, not wanting to entertain that thought. 

“Doesn't really matter what I think does it?” He answered without opening his eyes, albeit quite bitterly, “You're the one in  control .”

“Keith…” Shiro's tone was warning, causing Keith to look up, but the Princess raised her hand to stop him. She had a disapproving expression on her face now, clearly offended, but she didn't reprimand either of them.

“Very well Keith.” She said, voice level, “Then you will come with us and give us your side of the story. I will need to lock your cuffs on the way there.” 

“Wait, Princess Allura…” Shiro tried to say. 

“Shiro it's fine. I get it.” Keith cut him off. He appreciated the thought, he really did, but he was no longer in the mood. 

It was strangely confusing. Keith had expected to receive treatment like this already hadn't he? He had expected through distrust, the wariness, despite how...how  _ tolerant _ they'd already been with him. With the Red Lion's rejection, and how he'd lied to them about his species, it should've been no wonder that they'd ostracise him. And yet, some part of Keith must have been hoping for something else, because there was really no other explanation for the pain in his chest, pain that no healing pod would've cured. He didn't want to deal with it, but it was there, and it wasn't going to go away. 

Keith didn't look at Shiro when Allura got his handcuffs working again. His wrists flew together, and regardless of his strength, he knew he would be unable to pry them apart, so he didn't bother trying. Shiro looked like he was trying to find something to say, but didn't actually say anything as Keith was led out of the room. He kept his head down, like he had done earlier, just barely seeing the other Earthlings and that other Altean, Allura’s aide Coran, shoot him various looks of caution through his darkened hair. No one said anything, and no one had to. 

The dining room was a lot larger than Keith was anticipating. It was all white, much like most of the castle's interior, with a very high ceiling and a long, long white table with multiple tall chairs at it. Upon entry, Allura instructed everyone to take a seat, which they did. Allura, Coran, Pidge, and Shiro sat on one side of the table, while Lance and Hunk had opted to sit together on the opposite side, closest to the door. Keith, however, didn't move. 

“Keith, I believe I asked that you sit down.” Allura said when she noticed he was still standing. At this, Keith looked up at her in confusion. He hadn't thought the invitation to extend to him. 

“Go on ahead,” Coran said, “the chairs are very comfortable.”

Keith was sure they were, but he highly doubted he would get any sort of comfort out of sitting with those who were essentially his captors. 

“Here, let me get a chair for you.” Hunk said, pulling a chair out for him. Keith frowned. What was with this one? He was obviously the most fearful of the group, and yet he was the one actively trying to help Keith the most, even when they were in the medical bay. Keith couldn't help but find him incredibly naive, but it also made him feel slightly better. 

That doesn't mean he was going to accept the gesture. It was too...unfitting. (Like that stupid paladin helmet he had been forced to wear during their mission.)

“Hey come on man, Hunk's being nice so just accept it.” Lance urged, throwing him a look that was somehow in-between mockery and pleading. Yeah, Keith really didn't like this guy. 

“Keith, just sit down. Please.” Shiro pleaded this time. Keith glanced at him, only to see that stupid look of concern on Shiro's face. Keith groaned, finally deciding to move so they'd stop pushing him. He sat down, mumbling a word of half-hearted thanks to Hunk, while Lance seemed to grumble something about how Keith  _ ‘only listened when Shiro said it’. _ Keith wasn't going to entertain him.

Pidge alone had remained quiet the whole time, either staring at him with unreadable expressions on her face, or avoiding looking at him entirely. The Galra drone she had re-programmed was constantly by her side, and while his opinion of the new Green Paladin was entirely debatable at the moment, he couldn't help but feel just the tiniest inkling of respect for how well she had done the job of getting the drone to work for her. 

“Well, now that that's done,” the Princess declared, “Keith, it's time you explained yourself to us.”

“Yeah but first, could you do us a favour and stop pretending to be one of us?” 

Keith turned to look at Pidge, who had finally decided to speak. She looked angry, arms folded across her chest. Keith narrowed his eyes, the dark mood from moments ago returning.

“I'm not pretending to be one of you.” He snapped back, “I just took on this form because it would make things easier wouldn't it?”

“How exactly would that make things easier? And how are you even doing that? Last I checked Galra didn’t have transformation abilities.”

“What do you even know about the Galra?!”

**_“Silence!”_ ** The Princess commanded, turning to Pidge, “Pidge, we've discussed this. I understand your concerns but this is not a proper way to treat our...our  _ guest. _ ” 

“‘ **_Guest_ ** _ ’ _ ?!” Keith exclaimed, starting to lose his composure for real, “We all know I'm no  **_guest_ ** here Princess!  **_Guests_ ** don't get the  _ luxury _ of handcuffs and solitary confinement!” 

“Need I remind you that you requested the latter yourself Keith? We wanted to put you into a pod but you had clearly refused. I suppose I have made a mistake with my choice of words, and Pidge was surely out of line, and I apologize for both. However, you are still in no position to be shouting as you are. Regardless of the change of plans, you are still being interrogated.”

Keith instantly shrunk back in his seat at the Princess’s harsh tone, all anger fading as he remembered where he was. This wasn't the Empire, and it wasn’t his superiors that he was disrespecting this time. Maybe it was the added discomfort of the situation, but Keith couldn't find the willpower to fight back against the Princess. Had he not taken on an Earthling appearance, it would've been much more obvious that his ears were tilting downwards. 

“In any case,” the Princess continued, “perhaps it would be best that you return to your natural form. It may be make things a little easier.” 

There was no way that would make anything easier. It would only cause more tension, and avoiding that has been the reason he took on his Earthling appearance in the first place, but clearly, Pidge’s reaction had proven otherwise. Unable to think of what to do, Keith turned to look at Shiro, some part of him hoping he could help. 

Shiro noticed his gesture, but instead of saying anything immediately, he bit his lip, avoiding eye contact. 

At once, Keith felt it again. The feeling of being outcasted, isolated. A numbness began to take over his senses. He didn't want to bother with the disguise anymore. He should just stop pretending like Pidge said. But another part of him wasn't ready to stop. He didn't want to go back to being looked at with even more caution, fear, and disgust. He couldn't.

“Sorry, but I'd prefer to remain like this for a little longer.” Keith told them, struggling to keep all traces of emotion out of his voice.

“Might I ask why?” Allura asked in response, putting her hands, clenched together, on the table in front of her. 

“Personal reasons. I'd rather not talk about it. It won't affect the rest of my answers anyway, would it?” 

“Well, I suppose not. So then, why don't you please tell us what your intentions are?” 

“I don't have any particular intentions right now. I've betrayed the Galra Empire, and I won’t be welcomed back.”

“Are you referring to your part in the retrieval of the Red Lion from earlier today?”

“No. I betrayed them when I got Shiro out of prison.”

Beside Coran, from the corner of his eye, Keith saw that Shiro finally looked up at him. He visibly frowned, but Keith just barely avoided making eye contact, just like Shiro had moments ago. Allura seemed to nothing this, but did not comment. She instead carried on the interrogation. 

“I see. Then, why did you choose to help Shiro escape, despite what it would've meant for you?”

Keith paused to consider his words before he offered his answer. It was a simple question, but the answer was a lot more complicated. 

“For me to answer that,” Keith said carefully, sitting up straighter, looking up and meeting Allura’s gaze perfectly, “I will need to tell you the whole story.”

“So you’ve mentioned earlier. Please, go on ahead.”

Keith nodded. “All right. First off, my real name is Scathek, and I’ve been a soldier for the Galra Empire since I was a child. I lost my parents around that time, and had been taken in by a lieutenant of Zarkon’s army, or, at least he was a lieutenant at the time. I believe he’s now under Commander Prorok, but I’m not sure.”

“Prorok you say? Also, why are you unsure of the lieutenant’s  status ?” 

“He and I lost contact soon after I made it into the military. As for Prorok, he’s currently of the same ranking as Sendak, though he was just a mere captain back then, at least as far as I know.”

“I see. We may end up confronting him eventually I suppose.”

“Probably. Anyway, after I was taken in, I had to remain in hiding for a few years before I was put into training. Because of my small size and lesser strength, it was harder for me to keep up, so I had to train much more than the others to even make it out of the academy. In the end, I was only able to get into the military with as a guard for war prisoners. That’s where I met Shiro, as well as the two other Earthlings.”

“You’ve met my father and brother too?!” Pidge jumped to her feet, slamming her hands down on the table. Allura shot her a disapproving look.

“Pidge…” She said in warning, but it was in vain. Pidge barely acknowledged her, and narrowed her eyes at Keith. 

“Wait, your father and brother?” Lance asked in confusion. Beside him, Hunk seemed to share his feelings. Pidge flinched, and sat down again. 

“Yeah...I already told Shiro, but his crew members were my family.” She said, avoiding eye contact with them, but turning to glare at Keith almost immediately after those words, “Where are they?!”

“Both were sent to the labour camps back on our home planet.” Keith answered, thinking back to how he had filed in a report for the transfer himself, “Your father was sent straight away, but Shiro and your brother were sent to the arena along with the other prisoners.”

Shiro froze. “A...Arena…?”

Keith looked at him blankly, but nodded nonetheless. “You don’t remember this Shiro, but you and the other Earthling…”

“Matt.” Shiro said quickly. That must’ve been the other one’s name.    
  
“All right, you and  _ Matt _ ,” Keith continued, “were taken to the arena by me, because I was in charge of your group. Matt was supposed to be the first to fight, but you prevented that.”

“I...I did…?”

“Listen, any prisoners assigned to me weren’t supposed to have a chance at survival. The arena is a place of slaughter, for higher Galra society’s sick entertainment. Because I’m among the lowest ranks, as well as being a lot smaller than everyone else including prisoners of other species, I was always assigned the weakest ones. None of you were supposed to make it out alive.” 

“And you still brought them there?!” Pidge shouted in outrage, “Then Matt, my brother is…?!”

“Still alive.” Keith finished quickly, “Shiro made sure of that.” 

“Shiro did…?” Pidge turned to look at said person, but Shiro himself had a look of frustrated confusion. Everyone else had also turned to look at him, but it was clear he would be unable to provide them the answers to any questions they may have had. So Keith just carried on. 

“I never thought I’d see a prisoner do something so reckless. Shiro pushed Matt out of the way when the sentry came to fetch him, taking the sentry’s weapon as he did. I thought he was going to attack the other prisoners, because he was screaming about wanting blood, and then he attacked your brother using the weapon.”

“He  _ what _ ?!” Pidge exclaimed, and a look of horror crossed Shiro’s face.

“No...I wouldn’t…” He muttered, his body beginning to tremble. Keith quickly carried on before he could start suffering from a breakdown, his mind beginning to drift into the memories of that day.

“You made it so Matt could no longer fight, damaging his leg enough to need immediate treatment if he ever wanted to walk again, but from what I saw, it wasn’t out of bloodlust...”  

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**_“Take care of your father.”_ **

**Those had been the black-haired Earthling’s last words as he was dragged into the arena by the sentry. Scathek stood there, absolutely stunned. He had never expected to witness something like this. For a prisoner to willingly take another’s place in as the first to fight, despite the imminent threat of meeting a brutal end...it was madness.**

**Yet, it had happened. The Earthling had sacrificed himself, making sure his friend would be unable to fight in the arena in the process. Scathek didn’t understand it, why would he do something like that?**

**Scathek looked down at the other Earthling, the smaller one with light brownish hair. He stared at the door with wide eyes, seeming as if he hadn’t even realized he had been seriously injured. The other prisoners appeared to be in the same state of shock, all of them just staring at the door, speechless and frozen on the spot. Scathek gritted his teeth, approaching them.**

**“Move.” He ordered them, and they all seemed to jump at his voice. He ignored them, kneeling down to inspect the remaining Earthling’s wound. The Earthling tensed up at once, upon realizing he was there, but Scathek ignored him and focused on the injury. He was not at all trained in the medical arts, but even he could tell it was a deep cut, and had the blade gone any further, there was a chance it could’ve caused permanent damage to the leg. There was a lot of blood as well, a deep, striking red. Scathek internally winced at the colour, bits of unwanted memories beginning to form in his mind. He forced them back at once.**

**He stood up again, his gaze not leaving the Earthling, who looked up at him in pure fear. His expression struck a nerve in Scathek, but he pushed the feeling down.**

**“Looks like you’ll be spared today,” He told the Earthling, “with a wound like that, you won’t be able to enter the arena. You’ll be sent to the labour camps with your father as soon as you can walk again.”**

**“W-Wait!” The Earthling exclaimed as the sentries moved towards him, despite still being terrified, “What, what about Shiro?!”**

**_‘Shiro’_ ** **...? Scathek supposed that was the other Earthling’s name. Not that it mattered. To go in entirely alone on the first fight, there was no way he would survive.**

**“Your friend is no longer a concern of yours.” He told the unnamed Earthling coldly, “You need only worry about yourself. Had he injured you any more than this, you would’ve been deemed worthless to us, so consider yourself lucky you still have a chance at the camps.”**

**The terror in his eyes was now even clearer, and he turned to glance at the door where his friend,** **_Shiro_ ** **, had been pulled through. Scathek felt pity for him, he couldn’t imagine the emotions being felt by the unnamed Earthling. But he had no room for sympathy. He didn’t need to worry about prisoners.**

**Scathek turned to two of the sentries, giving them an order to transport the Earthling back to the cell for treatment. The sentries obeyed at once, moving forward to pick him up. The Earthling began to panic.**

**“No please!” He yelled, starting to thrash as he was carried out, “Shiro’s...Shiro’s gonna…!”**

**Scathek didn’t hear the rest as the doors closed on him, and the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Scathek let out a small sigh, then turned to the other prisoners.**

**“Get back in order.” He told them, “You don’t get that privilege.”**

**The prisoners didn’t object. They moved back into their rows, none of them uttering a single word. They all looked extremely tense and jittery, but also looked like they had given up hope of escape.**

**Scathek refused to acknowledge the sudden, overwhelming guilt he felt upon realizing that.**

**He turned his attention to the screen that was positioned in the corner of the room, where he and the prisoners may watch the fight that was happening. In the arena, there was what looked to be a corrupted Balmeran, probably a former victor of the arena, and turned into an experimental plaything for the Druids of the High Court. The natural green and brown pigments of the creature’s skin had been tainted blue and purple, and the normally yellow eyes of the poor thing now glowed purple. Scathek internally cringed. The Balmeran was clearly the victim of a failed experiment, and no longer seemed in control of her own mind.**

**The Earthling, Shiro, was nowhere to be seen. The Balmeran crept around, searching for her prey. Suddenly, she rushed at a nearby pillar, charging into it full force, crushing the metal with the force of her impact. From behind it, Shiro rolled away, the stolen sentry weapon still clutched in his hand, as he ran from the Balmeran. She roared ferally, chasing after him, but Shiro proved extremely agile. He managed to dodge most of her attacks, and those he didn’t dodge, he blocked or deflected using the weapon, escaping damage over and over. He didn’t attack back directly, only luring in the Balmeran to run straight into more pillars or walls, which disoriented her long enough for him to move out of the way.**

**As Scathek watched, he felt a strange tingling in his chest. His hand unconsciously moved to his back, where he rested it on a small, sheathed dagger he had there. He had never seen any creature fight like this. All others had only either constantly tried to run, only to inevitably tire themselves out to the point where they became open targets, or they had tried to fight back directly out of desperation, where they easily became careless and got torn apart.**

**But this Earthling...he was clearly running, but it looked like he was calculating his movements in a way Scathek was not at all used to seeing. He always waited until the last moment to make his escapes, and used the Balmeran’s own strengths against her, allowing her to crash over and over. Scathek soon saw the pattern. Shiro wasn’t just making random movements and lucky escapes,** **_he_ ** **was the one trying to tire her out. And it was working.**

**Eventually, the Balmeran began to slow down, and Shiro began a more offensive stance, starting to land blows on the creature with quick slashes from his stolen weapon. The Balmeran howled, trying to fight back, but the constant crashing had taken its toll on her, and she was unable to defend herself.**

**Scathek watched on, no longer able to consciously tear his gaze from the screen, and multiple, confusing emotions clouded his mind. He could barely think when Shiro finally brought the Balmeran down, and stood over her in victory. There were no speakers in the room, but even so, the thunderous cries of cheer and outrage from the spectators were deafening. Scathek couldn’t believe Shiro had won. It was supposed to be next to impossible for a regular being, unaltered by the corrupted power of the High Court Druid, to defeat a seasoned gladiator. Still, he wouldn’t look away, feeling as if something more was to happen. And he was right.**

**The Balmeran was still conscious it seemed, and she reached out a clawed hand towards Shiro, who looked down at her with a solemn expression. Suddenly, his expression changed into one of horror, and he looked like he was saying something to her, but no voices could be heard through the crowd. Shiro’s expression then shifted into one of pure guilt and sorrow, but his actions were much more than that. He raised the weapon high, and then, after a moment’s hesitation, he brought it down.**

_ -END FLASHBACK- _

As Keith finished describing the first time Shiro had made an impression on him, the room fell into a heavy, awkward silence. Slowly, everyone’s attention was shifted to Shiro once more, and the man himself looked absolutely sick. His face had become much paler somehow, and if Keith looked more carefully, he could see the slight glisten of sweat dotting Shiro’s forehead.

“So I...I killed someone…” He stammered, hands reaching up to clutch his head, “I don’t...I don’t remember…”

“Hey, Shiro?” Lance asked, “Are you okay…?”

“Do you want to take a break Shiro? Some water perhaps?” Coran offered. But to Keith’s surprise, Shiro shook his head. 

“No...” He said, “No I need to know what happened next. Keith, please.”

“...Are you sure?” Keith questioned, thinking back to the conversation they had that night on Earth, “I mentioned before that there were things you wouldn’t want to remember. You really think you can handle it?”

Shiro hesitated for a tick, but then gave him a firm nod. Keith huffed. What a fool…

“Fine. After your first fight you were in a very disoriented state, and as per regulations I was to take you to a single cell in the isolation wing, which was usually reserved for arena victors…”

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**It had been a few days since Shiro's win against the Balmeran. The other Earthling had been transferred to the same labour camp as his father, something Scathek had made sure of, if only out of a misplaced sense of pity. Like all other victors of the death matches, Shiro was placed inside an isolated cell, away from other prisoners, and was to be assigned a new set of guards to watch him, as victors were considered to be gladiators from the moment they won their first match, to be thrown into the arena again and again to keep people entertained. Of course, the constant fighting would make most gladiators more likely to attempt risky escapes, hence the newer guards.**

**Usually, three or four guards would be assigned to one gladiator, so they could work in shifts to guard them. Problem was, they were two guards short, and Scathek was the only other guard of an appropriate rank available to take on that role, while a rookie guard replaced him at his previous assignment. He was a little annoyed by it, as he wasn't sure he wanted anything to do with this Earthling, as well as the added factor that he would be taking on two shifts at once instead of one at a time, but it at least his superiors were no happier about the decision. (He hadn't been able to resist that small sense of satisfaction of seeing his commanding officer's face when the news was delivered to him.)**

**Still, he expected having to guard a potentially dangerous gladiator would be quite a stressful situation, since he was going to be practically alone most of the time. But he found that the Earthling had hardly moved the past few days, only occasionally eating and drinking. He didn't say anything, at least not out loud, and Scathek wondered if Earthling minds were so weak that they would be so easily broken after one** **traumatic** **encounter. At least, that seemed to be the case with this one. Scathek soon found it hard to believe this was the same prisoner who had not only won against a victim of Druid experimentation, but had managed to kill her.**

**Seriously. It did not feel like he was the same person.**

**Guarding duty had never been more boring. At least with a whole batch of prisoners, Scathek could walk around and check on each of them, but with Shiro...it was like watching a rock.**

**Of course, it wasn’t as if Scathek didn’t feel some pity for him. He wasn’t so blinded by arrogance that he wouldn’t be able to see what Shiro was going through. But what could he do about it anyway? Nothing, and trying to comfort him would probably just backfire on him, given not only the situation of them being a prisoner and his captive, but also Scathek’s** **_wonderful_ ** **social skills.**

**……….well, at least he was obviously more relaxed with this assignment.**

**Eventually, Scathek sat down to rest next to the partially transparent door to Shiro’s cell, placing his sword beside him against the wall. He glanced at it, a large, heavy metal slab that was literally twice Scathek’s size (thank the stars a keypad was used to automatically open or close it so he didn’t have to yank at it manually). It had an opening slot at the bottom for meal trays, which went without saying. Opening the door entirely just to deliver food could easily result in a potentially violent escape attempt. There was in fact another slot above for properly checking on the prisoners clearly, but Scathek, with his painfully short structure, often couldn’t reach it, much to his humiliation. Sitting down next to the monster of a door, he felt even smaller than usual. It was not a feeling he liked, but he didn’t feel like standing back up.**

**Shaking his head, he began thinking about the Earthling behind that door instead, just barely making out the Earthling’s hunched up form in a corner on the floor of the cell. It was almost the exact same position he had been in since he was thrown inside. Soon enough, Shiro would have to be sent back out into the arena to once again fight for his life, but in the state he was in, Scathek doubted he would get lucky enough to survive a second time. The thought made him feel slightly empty inside, realizing how pointless it would be if Shiro survived his first match only to die in his second one.**

**Suddenly, Scathek felt a slight pain in the back of his head, and he let out an involuntary groan.**

**_‘Oh great, not again.’_ ** **He put his hand up to the left side of his face, covering the area around his left eye. He leaned forward so that his elbow rested on his knee, and tried to retain his concentration.**

**Ugh, how long had it been since he last meditated? Too long apparently.**

**Okay, he would be fine, he just needed to relax himself and take a few minutes to get himself back to normal.**

**Keeping his hand over the left side of his face, Scathek closed his eyes, and focused his mind as much as he could. He very carefully drew in the surrounding energies, the** **_quintessence_ ** **. He could feel the energies rejuvenating him, however slowly. The pain in his head lessened, bit by bit, until it numbed into little more than a dull ache. When the process was finished, he let out a sigh of relief.**

**_‘Have to make sure I don't forget next time…’_ ** **He thought bitterly, as he reached behind him and undid the strap to his dagger. He unsheathed the smaller blade, pausing to look at the bandages wrapped around the handle, before he glanced at the reflective metal itself, checking his face. To his relief, his skin was entirely purple, as was his hair, and his cursed red marking nowhere to be seen.**

**Scathek leaned back against the wall, breathing out. He sheathed his dagger and placed it on his lap. He glanced at the door again, wondering what Shiro was doing in there, but deciding that checking would be a little redundant.**

**Several minutes passed. Scathek was getting more bored, and the other guard assigned wouldn’t be coming over for quite a while. Having a double-shift was ridiculous.**

**Eventually, Scathek found himself beginning to hum a little. He didn’t really think about it, it was just a thing he did whenever he finished a meditation session. He just softly hummed the familiar melody, though he wasn’t sure what the song actually meant. His former guardian, a** **_hominin_ ** **Galra named Thace who had taken him under his wing before Scathek was enlisted into the military, had told him it was a song his late mother often sang to him as a child, and that he shouldn’t sing it when he was amongst other Galra, but Scathek didn’t want to think about that right now. He continued humming, clearing his mind of the painful thoughts. No one would be able to hear him anyway.**

**“...what song is that?”**

**Scathek jumped and shot to his feet at once, turning to the door. ‘** **_That was...that was Shiro wasn’t it? How did he hear…?’_ **

**Scathek looked down when his foot hit something, and he noticed the edge of a tray sticking out from the lowest slot in the door. Oh. Groaning, Scathek yanked the tray out, finding whatever edible contents that had been on it had disappeared, and he could only hope it meant Shiro had consumed it all. He set it aside and went to lean against the wall next to his sword, not looking through the door. He didn’t answer Shiro, he didn’t think it was a good idea.**

**There was a shuffling sound, which Scathek was just barely able to pick up thanks to his sensitive hearing, but he ignored it. Shiro was quiet for a few moments, but not for long.**

**“...can I ask you to continue humming? Please?”**

**Scathek paused, raising an eyebrow despite Shiro being unable to see it. That was a request he hadn’t ever heard before. Granted, Scathek didn’t remember ever humming in front of another prisoner before, but still.**

**He decided not to answer Shiro again, folding his arms across his chest. No, he wasn’t giving in to a prisoner’s request, no matter how harmless it was.**

**Shiro stopped talking for a while after that, though there was a little more shuffling, a little louder than before. Scathek ignored it again, thinking it was nothing. That is, until Shiro’s voice came from the upper slot instead of the lower one.**

**“You dropped your knife.”**

**Scathek jumped again, startled by both the newest attempt at communication, as well as the realization that he had in fact dropped his dagger when Shiro surprised him the first time. A slight panic gripped him, but managed to (hopefully) appear calm as he looked around for it. Fortunately, it was only a few steps away from him. Scathek groaned as he went to pick it up. He stared at it in his hand for a moment, concerned that he had managed to forget about it, even if only for a few ticks. A slight** **feeling** **of sorrow washed over him, but he grit his teeth, turning back to look at the cell door, where Shiro’s form was now standing up against it, though he also wasn’t tall enough to look through the upper slot of the door. Scathek decided to consider that a good thing.**

**“...what do you want?” He finally asked Shiro, and he noticed how Shiro seemed to stand a little straighter when he did.**

**“Nothing.” Shiro replied, thought Scathek didn’t miss the hoarseness of his voice, “...Is that knife important to you?”**

**“Why would you want to know?”**

**“Honestly, I’m not sure I do.”**

**“Then why are you even asking?”**

**“...I just need to talk to someone. It’s...It’s too quiet in here.”**

**That shut Scathek up. Was Shiro so desperate for interaction that he would literally try to speak with the one who was making sure he stayed captive? Part of Scathek wanted to help him, but he still had his role as a Galra soldier to consider. Sure, he didn’t necessarily like it, but if he ended up in serious trouble because of the Earthling, he wouldn’t have anywhere else to go. He couldn’t get involved.**

**“...you’ll have to endure it.” Scathek eventually said, keeping his tone cold and emotionless as he moved back closer to the door, “But you’ll have a chance to get out at some point. You’ll be wanted in the arena again.”**

**“Wh...What?!” Shiro exclaimed, voice trembling, “Again?!”**

**“You’re an arena gladiator now Earthling, and gladiators need to keep on fighting if you want to live.”**

**“But that means I’ll have to…! I’ll have to…!!”**

**“Maybe you’ll have to kill again, but…”**

**Scathek trailed off. That’s right, he still wanted some answers as to what had happened that day, with the corrupted Balmeran.**

**“Actually, since you wanted conversation, I have a question for you.” He offered, “Why did you kill the Balmeran that day? She was already downed, and probably would’ve been simply taken away by the Druids. You clearly didn’t want to do it, so why did you?”**

**Shiro fell silent. Through the metal, Scathek could see him slumping, as if a heavy weight was suddenly dropped onto him.**

**“I...She asked me to…”**

******“Wait, what? She asked you to kill her…?”**

**“She didn’t…she didn’t want to continue being experimented on...she asked me to kill her while she still had her mind left…you’re right I...I didn’t want to kill her but...”**

**Scathek felt his eyes widening as Shiro explained. He supposed it was the only logical explanation to the whole thing, and given what he knew of the Druids of the High Court, it was entirely believable. Still, he was surprised that a mere Earthling would be willing to do something so drastic.**

**“Were you a solider back on your home planet?” Scathek found himself asking.**

**“No...Not exactly…” Shiro answered, “I was trained in a military academy, the Galaxy Garrison, but as a space explorer, not a solider.”**

**“There’s a difference where you come from?”**

**“Sort of…I just...”**

**At this point, Scathek heard the Earthling sigh loudly before he slowly slumped back down onto the floor, apparently leaning against the door as he did so.**

**“I..never mind...I shouln’t have…”**

**Shiro didn’t say anymore after that. Scathek didn’t either. Like he told himself before, he couldn’t get involved with this** **prisoner** **.**

_ -END FLASHBACK- _

“Wait what’s with that whole meditating mumbo-jumbo you did there?” Lance cut in without warning, making Keith stop his explanation, “Also what’s with the singing?”

“I’ll explain that later along with the rest of it.” Keith replied, not too happy about the fact that he was interrupted, “It’s more relevant then anyway. Also, it was humming, not singing.”

“Eh, what’s the difference?”

“Are you being serious right now?”

“Guys!” Shiro exclaimed, startling them both into shutting up. He sighed at them, a hand at his head in what seemed to be exasperation. “Just, just continue the explaination…”

Keith blinked, but did so nonetheless. 

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**It was after Shiro’s second fight when they spoke to one another again, which happened two days after their first conversation.**

**Before Scathek put Shiro back into his cell, he noticed the dullness in the Earthling’s eyes, as well as the dark circles around them. It was merely one small sign of fatigue among many. As a result, Scathek didn’t think Shiro would try to talk to him again, but clearly, the Earthling was not at all planning on meeting his expectations.**

**“What will happen to that alien?” Shiro had asked, not long after all other guards and sentries returned to their posts after assisting Scathek (a job most sentient Galra were quite unwilling to do).**

**“...I thought you weren’t interested in any more light conversations.” Scathek snapped in reply, glancing at the door to see the Earthling’s silhouette in a sitting position, leaning against the translucent metal.**

**“...Maybe not,.” Shiro admitted, shifting slightly, “But I want to know what’s going to happen to that alien I just fought. Will it be...”**

**Scathek sighed, not sure if entertaining the Earthling was a good idea, but he did it anyway. He just hoped he wouldn’t regret it later.**

**“If you’re worried about him getting killed off, you don’t particularly have much to worry about. Vulpimancers are a feral species, and are generally kept as Rank Zero arena opponents for newer gladiators like yourself. They’re a rarer species though, but have high endurance, so they generally just get treated a little before they’re eventually sent out to fight again.”**

**“Oh, I see…So, what other kinds of aliens will I have to go up against next?”**

**“Depends on your popularity. If the spectators like you, there’s a higher chance of you getting more powerful opponents more often.”**

**“Meaning a higher chance of me being killed?”**

**“I can’t deny that.”**

**Shiro scoffed bitterly. Scathek glanced at him again, but there seemed to be no significant changes in his posture.**

**“So...the lives of us prisoners is really nothing more than a show for you guys huh?”**

**They didn’t talk anymore after that.**

_ -END FLASHBACK- _

There was a brief silence after Keith described that particular conversation of theirs. Looks of discomfort were visible on everyone’s faces, and well, Keith wasn’t exactly expecting anything different. Maybe these people hadn’t heard of the arena before, but from what he had already told them, they probably had an idea of how bad it could be.

“Any questions?” Keith tried asking, deciding it would be best to stop for a moment to make any small details clear, before they had the chance to be misunderstood. The cadet-level Earthlings looked at one another, then at Shiro, but said nothing yet. Similarly, Allura and Coran exchanged concerned looks.   
“Well, it seems the Galra have really changed from when we last had contact with them.” Coran commented solemnly, turning back to Keith, “This arena...the Zarkon of old would've never wanted this set up.” 

“You're kidding right?” Keith responded, frowning, “The arena is an old tradition of war among the Galra. It's located on Zarkon's command ship, and it has been a twisted symbol of the Galra’s military strength and influence.”

“I'm afraid that's true.” Allura confirmed, though it seemed to disgust her to admit it, “Zarkon was once a much fairer ruler, against such ruthlessness. Clearly the thirst for power was too good for him to resist.”

Keith scoffed. “Well whatever he was like before, it hasn't been like that for a long time. Now, Zarkon uses it as one of the most effective displays of his control over practically any species out there, throwing them all into a pit and leaving them no choice but to fight to the death to survive.”

“Okay but why haven't the prisoners caused a riot or something?” Hunk asked, “If they had tried all together, maybe…”

“No.” Keith cut in at once, turning his gaze downwards solemnly, “No that's no longer possible.” 

“And why is that?” Allura prodded. 

“Because they've tried many times in the past, and each time they've failed, only to get recaptured and executed, save for one or two lucky ones. These attempts in the past are the reason for the isolation cells, to make sure prisoners don't get to discuss any plans. Also, the arena is now in Zarkon’s most powerful stronghold, with guards literally everywhere. A mass escape would be next to impossible.” 

“If it was that crazy, why’d you help Shiro out there?” Lance asked. Keith didn’t have to  raise  his head to be fairly sure everyone was giving him expectant looks. He wasn’t sure how to continue with this. It was going to start getting a little personal for him here. 

Keith sighed, looking up and turning to Shiro, deciding to just go with it. “...You asked me about the stars.”

At the confused looks he got from that, he took a deep breath and returned to his story. 

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**The third time they spoke to each other, Shiro asked about where they were in the universe.**

**“Would you understand if I told you?” Scathek grumbled in response. After all, Earthlings hadn’t even made it out of their own solar system yet. What would he know about**

**“Well, I guess not…” Shiro admitted, “But I’m still curious about it.”**

**“...why?”**

**“I told you before I was trained as a space explorer. The reason was because I wanted to see what’s out there.”**

**“There’s nothing out there. It’s literally just mostly empty space out there.” Scathek scoffed. Where was he even trying to go with this...**

**“You’ve never stopped to look at the stars? The constellations?” Shiro asked again, and Scathek paused at the word.**

**“...** **_Constellations_ ** **…?” He repeated, almost cautiously.**

**“You mean you don’t form or use star maps?” Shiro sounded confused.**

**“No…” Scathek answered slowly, his mind drifting towards an old memory, “We have star maps and such, but the use of constellations is an old practice, something only a certain group of Galra still care about.”**

**“Is there a reason for that?”**

**“There is, but telling you would be pointless.”**

**“...then, do you know any of those constellations? I’d like to hear about them.”**

**“What makes you think I know them?”**

**“Oh…”**

**Shiro sounded pretty dejected. Scathek felt his chest tighten slightly, a hint of guilt rising in him. He tried to squash it down, but for some reason, it refused. He felt compelled to say something, to tell Shiro what he knew** **, he** **sighed.**

**“The only constellation I can clearly remember is one that can only be seen from where I used to live, back on my home planet.” Scathek said slowly, recalling his childhood, which seemed to be really, really long ago, “We called it the** **_Blue Embrace_ ** **, because it was a series of stars that formed the image of arms cradling a bunch of smaller stars, and it only appeared when the sky turned a dark blue, which wasn’t too common…”**

**A few ticks went by in silence, and Scathek realized what he had just done. He had just shared some considerably personal information with his prisoner. Why...why would he…**

**“That sounds incredible.” Shiro said, cutting off Scathek’s confused thoughts. This made Scathek turn towards him, and he saw that Shiro’s silhouette was clearly visible, leaning against the door itself in a sitting position on the floor. “Thanks for telling me.”**

**...What kind of prisoner thanked the one who was making sure he stayed a prisoner?**

**“Don’t get used to it Earthling.” Scathek almost snapped, some irritation rising in his chest, “Why do you like these constellations so much anyway?”**

**“Well I…” Shiro paused, and Scathek wondered if he didn’t want to say anymore, but it turned out he was just considering his words.**

**“I guess I’ve always loved to look up at the night sky and see the millions of stars shining brightly up there.” He explained, “When I was a kid, I remember being so amazed at how many there were, at how big the sky was. I wanted to see more of it, and I wanted to learn about it. That’s why I wanted to be an explorer for the cosmos.”**

**“A lot of good that did you, seeing you ended up here.**

**“...at least I'm not aiming to kidnap innocent people to throw into a fight to the death.”**

**Shiro’s voice was low, sounding extremely offended and even mildly threatening with that statement, which was honestly understandable. He wasn't particularly wrong either, but Scathek still wasn't willing to get involved, and he already slipped up. If provoking Shiro meant avoiding that, Scathek was fine with it.**

_ -END FLASHBACK- _

Keith hadn’t thought he would feel this awkward explaining that part. Granted, he didn’t exactly openly talk about his feelings much, but even though he had tried to be as vague as possible with that in his explanation, he still felt exposed. He kinda wanted to sink back in his seat. The fact that he was a former enemy prison guard now being held prisoner wasn’t helping in the slightest.

He allowed himself a sideways glance at Shiro, who seemed to be trying to remember something, his hands on his head with a troubled expression on his face. There was a new kind of tension in the air, thought Keith wasn’t sure how to describe it. It was like a heavier feeling of uncertainty and suspicion, but at the same time, there was almost a slight inkling of something else Keith couldn’t place. It was somehow frustrating.

“I...I remember that…” Shiro said after a short silence. Keith tensed, sudden anticipation coursing through him, but not without an inkling of animosity. He said nothing in reply to Shiro’s comment, but Pidge did. 

“You do Shiro?” She asked, and Keith couldn’t help but notice how different her tone was when she was addressing Shiro, as compared to how it sounded when she addressed him, now that his Galra heritage had been revealed. No one else seemed to notice this, attention on Shiro instead. 

Shiro looked up at Pidge, giving her a slight nod. “Yeah...it’s a surprisingly clear memory, now that it was mentioned at least. I think I must’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what that constellation looked like when I was imprisoned. I remember thinking at some point that I maybe wanted to see it someday.”

“Good luck with that.” Keith muttered, slightly bitterly, “If you ever want to see it, you’ll have to head to my home planet, but I don’t exactly recommend it.”

“Well hey,” Lance interjected, “at least we can confirm it’s true. And Shiro’s able to remember stuff, so it’s not all bad is it?” 

“I suppose not.” Allura agreed, “But I doubt a discussion about stars was enough motivation for your actions Ke...er,  _ Scathek. _ ”

Keith winced. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather you continue calling me Keith.”

Allura raised an eyebrow. “Might I ask why?”

“I’d rather not talk about it. But please just keep calling me Keith.”

Allura regarded him for a moment, as if trying to see if he was planning anything. But ultimately she seemed to decide that that wasn’t the case. “All right then. Why don’t you carry on?”

At that, Keith cautiously looked back at Shiro, recalling what came next. It...wasn’t going to be easy for either of them to think about. But then again, since he had already said so much, holding back anything now would be pointless right?

...this was ridiculous. Just talk and stop over-thinking things.

“All right,” Keith said, pushing aside his reservations, “though the next few significant interactions with Shiro began to get a little more dramatic from there…”

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**The obvious signs of trauma started showing up not long after Shiro’s fifth fight, where he had been forced to kill his opponent once again. Scathek’s sensitive hearing had picked up the quiet sobs and whimpers coming from inside the cell. He also heard some words being said, most often hearing the word “no” being repeated over and over, sometimes quite frantically. He tried not to focus on it. Shiro was still his prisoner, and wasn’t supposed to be getting any special treatment for the after effects of the fighting. Anyway, most gladiators experienced this. They all eventually got used to it. There wasn’t a need for any form of intervention.**

**That mentality began cracking a few days later, when Shiro began screaming in his sleep. This was extremely startling to Scathek, who had been unable to stop the immediate feeling of sympathy from rising in his chest. It seemed Shiro was steadily getting worse. Night terrors...Scathek had had personal experiences with them, and he knew exactly how bad they could be.**

**Part of Scathek had wanted to go inside the cell and check in on Shiro, but the other part of him severely berated himself for even considering such a thought. Shiro was a prisoner, and he was a prison guard. There wasn’t exactly a need for an explanation on why he couldn’t help.**

**Still, Shiro’s screams were...painful to hear. The Earthling sounded absolutely tortured, the terror of the arena must have finally caught up to him. Having experienced similar fears himself before, Scathek couldn’t stop himself from wanting to be able to do something to make things easier for the Earthling, but what could he even do?**

**Shiro continued screaming, and Scathek remained at a loss. He knew that eventually, the terrors would die down for the night, but Scathek knew it wasn’t going to be over any time soon. This would only be one of many, many nights.**

**Scathek sat down, still unsure, but without really thinking much, he began to hum that melody again, the one he hummed after his meditation sessions. Shiro had asked him to hum that again, didn’t he? So why not now?**

**Honestly, he wasn’t sure if it was going to help. Shiro was screaming pretty loudly, and his hums were soft. There was a very possible chance that Shiro wouldn’t even be able to hear anything, but he continued anyway.**

**Within minutes, Shiro’s screams began to subside. Scathek was not sure if Shiro had in fact heard him and began to calm down, or if it was just a coincidence. Either way, the humming was calming his own worries as well, so he kept at it. Eventually, Shiro’s screaming stopped, and he seemed to settle into a more relaxed state. It was around this time Scathek stopped humming. He still didn’t think he had done anything, but even if it was a little arrogant to think that way, at the very least, he would like to think he did.**

_ -END FLASHBACK _

“A song…” Shiro whispered, before properly looking right up at Keith, “I’ve been hearing a song in my head when we were back on Earth, back at the shack. Was that you?”

“How should I know?” Keith responded flatly, “It’s your head you’re hearing it in.”

Shiro didn’t seem to appreciate that much. A look of disapproval crossed his features, but Keith decided to look away at that point. 

“Okay but does this mean your magic singing healed Shiro or something?” Lance asked, before anyone else could make a more serious comment. Keith turned to him, giving him an unimpressed glare, but he did notice how the tension seemed to lift slightly with Lance’s question. Still, it was a stupid question.

“That’s not how it works Lance.” He told the skinny Earthling, “It’s just a song I hum when I finish meditating. I just thought...well, it’s always relaxed me, so I was hoping it would…”

_ Quiznak _ . Keith was really feeling out of place. He blamed it on the fact that he had never so openly discussed any details about the melody to anyone. 

“What does the song sound like?” Hunk asked, sounding genuinely curious. Keith stiffened. 

“I don’t think making him sing during what’s technically an interrogation is a good idea Hunk.” Pidge commented, deadpan, but still looking pretty bitter about the whole thing. Hunk seemed to almost pout, along with Lance. Keith narrowed his eyes at them. How the heck were they so calm…?

“You can ask him more on the song on another occasion.” Coran pointed out, unknowingly saving Keith from the conversation, “But for now, I think it’s best we get back to Keith’s story.”

“Coran’s right.” Allura agreed, “For now, we’ll put all the little details aside and address them later. Until then, no more interruptions.”

“All right all right…” Lance sighed. Keith gave him a look, but didn’t comment. He had to admit he was a little relieved though, as all the interruptions were nothing but moments of awkwardness and general discomfort for him. 

Allura nodded, giving Keith the okay to go on. So he did. 

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**Life went on like this for Scathek as weeks slowly became months. Scathek hated to admit it, but having small conversations had grown to become an almost natural part of his routine, despite his reservations. He still made sure to maintain the boundaries between them, given their obvious difference in status, but there were times when Scathek had begun to stop seeing those boundary lines as clearly.**

**There was a time when Shiro made the mistake of asking about Scathek’s smaller size compared to the other Galra. Scathek had verbally lashed out at him, and Shiro had actually apologized and never brought it up again.**

**Another time, Shiro asked a much simpler question, of what the food he was being provided actually was. Scathek responded by asking him why it took so long for him to ask that particular question. Apparently, Shiro just hadn’t thought about it until then, which led Scathek to essentially smack his palm against his forehead before he proceeded to explain.**

**Yet another time, Scathek was the one who unintentionally made an insensitive comment. He had noticed Shiro’s tendency to resort to rather underhanded methods of combat during some of his more difficult matches, and had basically told Shiro that Galra generally looked down on that during arena matches. It had definitely been one of the stupider things he had said in his life, and obviously, Shiro hadn’t taken it well. That became the first time Scathek ever apologized to any prisoner with real sincerity.**

**It was conversations like those that really got them Scathek to start seeing Shiro as less than a prisoner, and more like an equal. However, this wasn’t enough to change the situation Shiro was trapped in, and unfortunately, Scathek wasn’t in any position to do anything. And that wasn’t all.**

**Recently, Shiro was getting more popular among the arena spectators, which meant he was to appear for more and more matches, each more dangerous than the last. Shiro was able to win every single challenge so far, was regarded as a fearsome, bloodthirsty warrior who refused to roll down and die. The reality was all too different.**

**Scathek had seen the truth, time and time again. Shiro was absolutely tortured by all the fighting, which was wearing him down both physically and mentally. The conditions of his imprisonment, while not as poor as it was for most ordinary prisoners, weren’t helping either. Every single night, the Earthling would scream in irrepressible fear, and all Scathek could do was just try and hum his melody in a potentially false attempt at helping him. It seemed to actually do something, as most of the time, Shiro would stop screaming and relax soon after Scathek hummed up to a certain verse, but other nights, Shiro’s terrors were too much. Sometimes, he would refuse sleep entirely, for fear of facing the night terrors again. Normally, this was when they had their more serious conversations.**

**It was one of those nights when Scathek had begun to actually trust Shiro for real.**

**Shiro was awake, leaning against the door to his cell, with Scathek on the other side, quietly listening to his shallow breaths. He wanted to say something to the Earthling, but he wasn't sure what. Shiro had recently gone through another match, barely making it out that time. It had been a particularly stressful match against a** **_Lenopan_ ** **, a sludge-like species of shapeshifters. The Lenopan was one of those that had undergone Druid experimentation, which resulted in its body being far more flexible and hard to hurt with physical hits. He had made use of various shock tactics, his favourite having been to seemingly melt away into the floor before he sprang up behind Shiro, assuming Shiro’s own appearance to momentarily stun the Earthling before landing heavy blows. This resulted in many severe injuries, one of the more obvious ones being a deep gash across his nose from when the Lenopan shapeshifted part of himself into a blade.**

**The intense fight had lasted almost six** **hours straight** **, Shiro barely claiming victory by making a desperate and risky move, which was to severely damage the arena sentry instead, essentially rigging it to explode as he threw it at his opponent. The explosion attacked the Lenopan’s natural weaknesses to heat and electricity, and the creature dissolved into dust, never to reform. Shiro had collapsed completely afterwards, from both exhaustion and the many injuries he sustained. He was immediately taken to the medical bay for treatment, which was really not much more than wrapping up his wounds and applying some medicine before Scathek had to take Shiro back to the cell as usual.**

**Waiting outside the medical bay, he feigned nonchalance in front of the other soldiers, but inside, Scathek was feeling horribly anxious. He couldn’t stop himself from worrying about whether or not Shiro would make it out okay. Physical condition aside, such an emotionally taxing match would be a serious threat to his already unstable mental state. Scathek couldn’t ignore the possibility that Shiro’s trauma may soon cause irreparable damage.**

**Eventually, Scathek was able to return Shiro to his cell, unconscious, with the help of a few sentries. For a long time, Shiro remained in that state, completely unresponsive. Scathek tried to be patient, but the worry wouldn’t let him. He wanted to be sure Shiro was okay already, instead of being kept in agonizing suspense.**

**He ended up having to wait a little more than a full day.**

**Scathek had only just returned to his shift that day when he realized Shiro was sitting up inside his cell, leaning against the door like he normally did. Scathek had felt a sense of relief and even a tiny bit of excitement to see he was awake, but that didn’t last long. When he called Shiro’s name, the Earthling hadn’t responded.**

**“Shiro?” Scathek tried again. Still, nothing. The intense feeling of worry returned.**

**“Shiro, Shiro can you hear me?” He tried yet again, this time unable to keep his voice from shaking. He knelt down to reach Shiro’s level, watching the Earthling carefully, but Shiro still didn’t answer him.**

**After a few minutes, Scathek turned and sat down, deciding it was best to leave Shiro alone for the time being. Like Shiro, he leaned against the door as well, just on the other side of it. He winced. The door, it was a reminder. A reminder of what position they were in, and Scathek had never wanted it gone more.**

**He started humming at some point. He wasn’t sure when, he just hummed. He must have gotten used to that, after doing so for Shiro so many times, during the Earthling’s night terrors. He vaguely realized this was likely the first time since he started that he was humming while Shiro was, seemingly, awake. Not that he cared in particular.**

**“...what song is that?”**

**Scathek stopped humming at once, and quickly swung around. Shiro hadn’t seemed to have moved, but he definitely said those words, right?**

**“Shi...Shiro?” Scathek asked quietly, and Shiro** **_finally_ ** **reacted to his voice. He turned his head slightly, and had the door not been in the way, they probably would’ve been able to make eye contact.**

**“...you never did give me an answer to that question when I first talked to you.” Shiro said, really slowly, and really quietly.**

**“I...I guess…” Scathek replied, being extremely careful with his words. Shiro sounded drained, and given what he had gone through, one wrong word could make him snap. That had to be avoided. It had to.**

**“...can you tell me what song that is now?” Shiro went on asking. Scathek didn’t reply right away. He was considering his options, would it be a good idea to tell Shiro the truth about that song? It was a pretty personal thing to him, and he had never told anyone about it, aside from Thace, who had really already known beforehand.**

**However, one look at Shiro’s unmoving form was enough to allow him to make the choice. He sighed.**

**“I don’t actually know what song it is.” Scathek confessed, “According to the one who raised me, it was something my mother used to sing to me, but the melody is all I remember.”**

**“...your mother?”**

**“I don’t remember her, or my father for that matter. They...they were both killed when I was a child.”**

**Shiro went silent for a moment, and Scathek realized his mistake. He should not have mentioned killing, not when Shiro was…**

**“...you never told me you were an orphan.” Shiro said, interrupting his thoughts. Scathek paused, not expecting to hear that. His chest tightened.**

**“I...I guess I didn’t.”**

**“Do you miss them?”**

**“Can’t really miss what I don’t remember. It was a long time ago.”**

**It was quiet for a moment. Then Shiro spoke again.**

**“You’ve been humming that song whenever I got nightmares, haven’t you?”**

**Scathek flinched. It had never occurred to him that Shiro might have heard him all this time. “I...I guess I have…”**

**“I see…”** **  
**

**Another pause.**

**“...I’m never getting out of here alive, am I?”**

**Shiro sounded done. He sounded read to give up entirely. Scathek didn’t answer that right away. He didn’t want to let Shiro know that the answer was almost a definite ‘yes’. But Shiro obviously wasn’t stupid.**

**“So I will end up dead here at some point, won’t I? And I’ll never see Earth again?” He asked.**

**“...probably.” Scathek answered. There wasn’t a point to hiding the truth now, was there?**

**“...do you ever miss your home planet?”**

**Another unexpected question. This time, Scathek didn’t answer right away, mostly because he wasn’t sure of the answer himself. Did he miss it? His own home planet had been a place of many bad memories, but it had been the only home he had ever known. Being in the military force had never felt the same, no matter how many years he spent on the command ship. And yet, Scathek still hadn’t ever felt like he belonged there.**

**“I don’t know.” He finally said truthfully, “I don’t know if I even ever had a place there. I’m...different from everyone there.”**

**“...can I ask what you mean by that?”**

**Should he tell Shiro? He had never told anyone about the truth of his past before. Part of him wanted to tell Shiro, to tell** **_somebody_ ** **. He didn’t want to hide himself all the time, but he had always been scared of the consequences. He didn’t want to be seen as a weakling, or a mistake, ever. But Shiro...given what he’s been through, maybe he’d understand? Should he…?**

**“...it’s fine if you don’t want to tell me.” Shiro said, “I…”**

**“No, it’s not that.” Scathek cut him off, somehow not really being able to stop himself at that point, “I would like to tell you, but I don’t think...I don’t think this is exactly the best time.”**

**“...no, please, if you don’t mind, I’d like to know. Also...I need something else to think about right now. I want to know I can still...”**

**Shiro trailed off, so Scathek couldn’t be sure of what he meant. It was likely Shiro believed he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle the situation anymore. Scathek gulped. He didn’t want to see something like that happen. But was he willing to dive into his past for that?**

**However, Scathek was also wanted to believe in Shiro. After all those conversations, regardless of the boundaries, Scathek couldn’t say they hadn’t grown close. He wanted to know he would be able to trust someone, and Shiro was easily the first person to come to mind.**

**Maybe, just this once, it would be worth the risk.**

**Scathek took a deep breath.**

**“What do you know about Galra races Shiro?”**

**“...not much.”**

**“Well, among the Galra, there are three main races, the** **_Reptilian_ ** **, the** **_Lanigera_ ** **, and the** **_Hominini_ ** **, classified by whether they possess scales, a long fur coat, or just bare skin. However, there’s another race, separate from them, who are known as the** **_Druids_ ** **. They have the unique ability to channel quintessence into magic, and are regarded as cursed witches and demons as a result, tainted with impure blood.”**

**“Druids...you mean the ones responsible for the experimentations on the other gladiators?”**

**“Yeah...but they’re different from other Druids as well. Those are members of the Emperor’s High Court, who serve as advisors and special forces. They directly assist the Emperor under command of the High Priestess, Haggar. They’re the ones with exceptional ability, the only Druids not to be rejected by the general population.”**

**“...does this mean you’re a Druid...?”**

**“...my mother was. I’m a halfling, my father was a** **_hominin_ ** **Galra. It’s...it’s part of the reason why I’m so much smaller than everyone else, as mixed genes often cause deformities. My size is one of them.”**

**“...so that’s why you got so upset when I asked you about it back then?”**

**“That’s right. I never liked having to deal with it. But the short height was easier to deal with than the more obvious signs.”**

**“...more obvious signs…?”** **  
**

**“You’ve never seen them. You couldn’t have anyway, but the truth is my appearance is just the result of an illusion, which is really the only magic I can actually use. Parts of my hair is actually white, and…”**

**Scathek paused as he raised his hand to the left side of his face. The red marking, it had always been the most identifiable sign of his true heritage.**

**“...Druids, aside from their use of magic, but they always have two red markings, one under each eye. But for me, it’s different. I only have one, under my left eye, and that was a sure sign that I wasn’t just a Druid, but also a halfling. And in a society where purity of blood is greatly valued...I had to hide who I was, if I wanted to be able to continue living.”**

**Shiro didn’t reply for a moment. He shifted, and Scathek found himself holding his breath. He had told Shiro, he had actually told Shiro. A newfound fear had gripped him when Shiro didn’t say anything, as Shiro’s only experiences involving Druids were the corrupted gladiators in the arena, but he still wanted to believe Shiro wouldn’t think of him in the same light. He really wanted to be accepted, just this once.**

**Finally, Shiro spoke.**

**“...so you were discriminated against. I know what that feels like.”**

**“You...you Earthlings have to deal with that too?”**

**“A lot of us do. I’m Asian, specifically Japanese, which basically means my ancestors came from the Eastern side of my planet. But I grew up in another country, where most people were of other, different ethnicities. And some humans, well, they don’t take that very well.”**

**“Oh...so it’s not just the Galra huh?”**

**“I suppose not. But...I…”**

**“You...what?”**

**“Thinking about it now, it was only a select few who acted like that against me. Everyone else treated me normally, so I guess I can’t really understand what it was like for you...I just…”**

**“Hey, I wasn’t expecting you to understand. I just hoped you would actually listen, and not...you know.”**

**“Well, I'm glad I could do that at least.”**

**“Yeah…Thank you, Shiro.”**

**Scathek leaned back, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Shiro hadn’t thought any differently of him, even sharing his own, similar experiences. He couldn’t describe how grateful he felt, but it also brought along a new sense of guilt as well.**

**Now, it meant that he was keeping the one person who he had ever trusted with his secret locked up in a tortuous place. He glanced up at the keypad of the cell door, actually considering opening it right away, but he couldn’t. Not yet, not without a plan. They were on a Galra command ship, with guards everywhere. They would be captured immediately. He needed time to think and come up with a way to get out safely.**

**Of course, Scathek realized such thoughts were a definite betrayal to the Galra, and if he was caught, they would not hesitate to execute him. But the Galra had never given him anything but bad memories, while Shiro had been willing to give him acceptance and trust, even though they kept him imprisoned and put him up for deadly shows.**

**His choice was made. He was going to get Shiro out of there, one way or another.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure it's pretty obvious that I'm building up structure within the Galra Empire, though how everything works right now is still in progress. I do have a lot of plans though. What do you think of Keith/Scathek? Hope you like him like this. His Druid heritage will play a pretty major part in this. And yes, he know's about Pidge's real gender, sort of. Don't hate Pidge though, her reactions are for a reason. I am not making her the bad guy I promise. 
> 
> Oh yeah, in case anyone wanted to know, Keith as Scathek was technically a mid-ranked officer within the prison, though the only ones below him were rookies and those not assigned to prisoners, not counting the sentry drones, which are all non-sentient robots here. Also, to clarify, the three Galra races are all just the scientific names of Reptiles (Reptilian), Long-Haired animals (Lanigera), and Human-like animals (Hominini). For the record, the word Lanigera, I got from a species of chinchilla. Because people think Sendak looks like one and I found that extremely hilarious so I used it. It legit means "Long wooly coat" though.


	7. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anyone with Galra blood is stubborn as hell and need to chill. Also, chapter title is lame feel free to offer a better one. :/

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M STILL ALIVE!!!
> 
> Okay, before anything, I am so sorry this is two whole months overdue. I had severely underestimated just how hectic the Final Year Project term could actually get, especially considering all the side projects my supervisor liked to dump on me at random times. Of course I have to admit I also had other reasons, such as being distracted by Yuri!!! on ICE and having to deal with fandom drama (UGH) which altogether kinda caused my motivation and desire to actually write plummet. 
> 
> I'm hoping the next chapter won't take as long, seeing as my term is coming to an end and I'll have some free time. Also, I'm kinda on a Season 2 hype, so that will probably be good for this story. I just need to spend some time reviewing it myself to refresh my memories on these. 
> 
> To be honest, I'm not entirely 100% satisfied with this chapter myself, considering the choppy writing process this time around. I'm halfway hoping it's due to the extremely high standards I had for this chapter personally, but yeah it's probably due to being away from this story for too long. Still, I hope I was able to get most of Keith's/Scathek's side across clearly enough, and managed to make it understandable with regards to the story. By the way, you'll notice certain inconsistencies happening in this chapter, and trust me, most of them are likely completely intentional. But point them out anyway if you see them, because yeah, I've been away so long I might have gotten information jumbled up as well. I'm sure I've mentioned this before but I'm really terrible at proof-reading my own works no matter how many times I do it. I swear without my beta-reader I would have a lot more trouble. So special thanks to my precious beta-reader [Mikiri](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikiri/pseuds/Mikiri), please check out her stories too!
> 
> By the way, with Season 2 out, there are a few things I would like to address regarding the canon timeline and the future of this story. I'm fairly certain that some of you guys may not have seen the episodes yet, so I'll be talking about in detail in the lower author's notes. Not all of will be about that, but I did put a warning down there just in case. Please have a look if you want to know! Thanks!

“So...you're basically some kind of half Galra sorcerer or something?” 

Keith instantly turned to glare at the one who had asked the question, who was of course none other than Lance, who for some reason had his finger up in the air. 

“Are you being serious right now? I thought there weren’t supposed to be any more interruptions.” He asked in return, unable to stop himself from snapping. He  _ really _ wasn't in a comfortable position right then. Every part of him wanted to bolt right out the door and back into the containment room, which honestly said a lot for how out of place he felt. 

Talking about his heritage...he thought it would’ve been easier with Shiro around, since it meant there was someone present who already knew and was okay with it. But halfway through his explanation, Keith was painfully reminded of how Shiro no longer had any memories of that moment. That meant Keith might as well have been talking to a roomful of complete strangers, none of which trusted him entirely. To be fair, Keith could hardly say he fully trusted any of them at this point either (he wasn’t sure about Shiro though), but that thought hadn’t been the least bit helpful in keeping him from feeling as if he was being judged heavily. 

Lance, however, clearly didn’t notice his inner turmoil.

“Hey , hey , relax.” He said to Keith, holding his hands up in mock surrender, “But seriously, is that how you’ve been looking human?”

“...yes.” Keith answered blankly, “Like I said, I know how to make use of illusions to alter how I look. But that’s literally all I’m capable of doing.”

“What you mean you’re supposed to be able to do more?” Lance asked again, this time sounding genuinely curious. Keith raised an eyebrow at him, but decided to answer anyway, if only to provide himself a distraction of some sort.

“Druids are normally very powerful, some capable of even channeling quintessence into energy attacks, but they need years of intense training to master their abilities. Since I’ve had to hide my heritage, I was never trained. I can only use illusions because I had to learn it to avoid being targeted, but even then I can only use them on myself.”

“Aw man, so you can’t turn me into a cool-looking alien?”

“Hey ! M y abilities aren’t something to play around with!”

“Whoa, hey calm down guys.” Hunk cut in as Keith began to raise his voice, “Lance, cool it on the jokes there will you?”

Lance once again raised his hands in mock surrender, though he did actually seem apologetic, sort of.

“Okay, okay I’m sorry. I was trying to lighten the mood a little.”

“Lance , you really need to learn to read the situation better.” Pidge deadpanned opposite of him. Lance turned to her, giving her a narrow-eyed glare, though it wasn’t anything particularly threatening.

“I  _ am _ reading the situation just fine Pidge, and it just started feeling too tense for me.” He replied. 

“Paladins please calm down.” Allura quickly said before Pidge could retort, “We don’t need another argument here, and remember, this is meant to be an interrogation. Lance, I appreciate you trying to make things more comfortable, but I’m afraid I will have ask that you save your comments for later.”

Lance slumped in his seat, defeated. “Okay , fine...”

Hunk patted him on the back, offering a soft smile. Lance returned it subtly, and Keith had to say he definitely admired the big man for not only putting up with Lance, but also for being willing to go out of his way to make him feel better, and he was good at it. 

With that done, Allura addressed Keith once more. “So Keith, what happened after you decided to help Shiro escape?” 

Keith let out a light groan, really not feeling like talking about it any more. He realized he didn't particularly have a choice, but each part of his explanation left him feeling more and more exposed and vulnerable. Sure, he knew logically that they were being extremely fair and generous to him, but the more illogical side of him was a little more convincing in this situation. 

Also…

Keith turned to Shiro, whose arms were folded across his chest. Keith glanced down at the Earthling’s prosthetic arm, recalling the day he had watched Shiro lose the real thing, and he had been absolutely helpless to stop it. He would soon have to talk about that, and force Shiro to relieve that moment. 

“Shiro, are you sure you want to continue here?” Keith asked, catching Shiro’s attention. He responded with a look of unease. 

“Why do you ask?”

Keith gulped. “Your arm. You’re going to have to hear how you lost it if you don’t back out.”

Instantly, all the colour drained from Shiro’s face, and considering how pale his complexion already was, that was saying a lot. He looked down at his right arm, the one now made of Galra technology, and Keith very easily noticed the trembling, as did everyone else. 

“Perhaps it would be best for you to sit this one out?” Coran offered, “We can give you the details of the rest later.”

Shiro stared down at the table, clearly considering the option of backing out. Keith almost hoped he did, as he wasn’t sure how Shiro would react to it all. He would be lying if he said he didn’t prefer it with Shiro around, even if he was practically a stranger at this point, but he was also fairly certain a flashback would be triggered if Shiro was around for the story, and frankly, he didn’t want to see what would happen to him after that. 

However, Shiro’s hands quickly formed tight fists, and he gritted his teeth as he answered with a firm shake of his head. 

“No...No I have to know…”He said, voice unsteady, but the determination clear, “I don’t want to end up hiding from my own memories, not matter how bad they are.”

“Shiro, I get where you’re coming from, but are you really sure?” Hunk asked, nothing but pure concern present in his expression and tone, “I’m sure you already know what trauma can do, but really, your memories were blocked for a reason. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

“I have to agree with Hunk there.” Pidge spoke up, Rover beeping in agreement next to her, “Shiro, we really don’t want anything bad to happen here. We can finish up here and fill you in after.”

“Thanks guys, but I don’t want to back out.” Shiro replied, forcing a smile, “I need to get over it as soon as I can if I want to be able to…”

“What do you mean ‘get over it’?” Lance exclaimed suddenly, and in such a serious tone everyone turned to stare at him in alarm. Keith noticed Hunk seemed to have a slightly different reaction, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it, with his state of disbelief at watching Lance of all people lecturing Shiro.

“You don’t just ‘get over’ something like what you’ve gone through Shiro.” Lance almost scolded, “People ‘get over’ things like not having their favourite restaurant open on their birthday or not being able to visit last year’s  _ Santiago Carnival _ because they got food poisoning. Shiro, you went through Hell in space for a year. I think you deserve the cooldown time.”

Keith was completely taken aback. He had not expected such a strong reaction from Lance at all. Shiro seemed equally surprised at Lance’s outburst, but quickly recovered enough to respond. “Lance , I really appreciate the concerns, but I…”

“But nothing!” Lance cut him off again, “You need to…!” 

“Lance, calm down.” Hunk then interrupted, placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder. Lance turned to him, shooting him what appeared to be an expression of hurt and annoyance. This was strange to Keith, but he made no comment as Hunk turned back to Shiro.

“Look Shiro, Lance is just worried, we all are.” He said clearly, “We just want to make sure you’re okay through all this.”

“Thank you, really.” Shiro replied, a mix of emotions showing through on his face, “But no matter how bad it is I need to know. I just do.”

A tick of silence passed before Allura spoke.

“Very well then Shiro.” She told him, “But if anything happens, the rest of us will take the necessary actions.”

Shiro frowned at this, but nodded nonetheless. Keith didn’t miss the troubled look in his downcast eyes. He cast a quick sideways glance towards the other Earthlings, noticing that Hunk and Pidge seemed particularly concerned, but Lance seemed to be considerably upset on another level for some reason. Keith was (kinda) sure he was just as concerned though, because Lance did look over at Shiro with a nervous look after Allura approved Shiro’s decision to stay. Not that Keith was going to pry, but the sudden shift in Lance’s demeanor had left him perplexed. 

“Keith?” Allura’s voice called, interrupting his short train of thought. Keith flinched slightly, turning his attention back to the situation at hand. They were staring at him. 

“Sorry, I got distracted.” He apologized, feeling a little awkward, “You want me to continue talking then?” 

“Yes.” Allura answered, “Please go on.”

Keith sighed, giving Shiro one last glance. “You’re really sure?”

Shiro looked in the eye, nodding firmly. Keith returned it, and after another sigh, he returned back to his explanations.

“Okay. Well, at first I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t have much of a plan, since I was really just one undersized guard of insignificant rank in there. I didn’t tell Shiro anything yet, since I didn’t want to give him any false hope in case I couldn’t come up with something good enough. But...that turned out to be a big mistake.”

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**“What do you mean I’m off-duty?!” Scathek almost yelled at his superior, a** **_Reptilian_ ** **Galra officer named Kryth. He had been summoned to her office on the ship shortly after his shift(s) for the day had ended, and he had already expected bad news. But to be told that he would no longer be needed to guard Shiro? That was something he wasn’t able to handle calmly. Kryth, however, had hardly batted an eye at his outburst.**

**“Are you hard of hearing soldier?” She replied, her voice mostly one of calm and indifference, but Scathek’s sensitive ears did not miss the hint of venom hidden in it, “Let me repeat myself in case you have trouble understanding. A few officers from other prison ships have been transferred here, therefore, we no longer have the problem of too few guards for the gladiators. Or did you forget that was the only reason you were assigned to the Earthling in the first place?”**

**“Of course not. I just don’t see why a reassignment is even necessary when I’ve been doing a pretty good job of it so far.” Scathek retorted with a snarl. Probably wasn’t the best thing to do there, but he hardly cared. Fortunately, Kryth wasn’t one to bother about those kinds of tiny details.** **_Unfortunately,_ ** **however, she was extremely perceptive to other kinds…**

**“Do you have a problem with your orders soldier?” She said, eyes narrowing as she stood, towering over Scathek threateningly, “You do realize that you of all people are in no position to argue.”**

**“I’m not arguing.” Scathek snapped, refusing to be intimidated, “I’m stating a fact. I’ve been doing a good job of guarding the Earthling, especially since I’ve had to work on two shifts since the start of the assignment. I’m more than qualified for this, so I don’t see why anyone should bother taking over.”**

**Kryth did not take kindly to his words. She glared at him in the coldest way possible, before she swiftly drew her sword so quickly Scathek couldn’t even see it coming. The edge of the blade stopped just short of Scathek’s neck, but not soon enough to avoid leaving a cut in his skin, shallow enough to not be noticeable right away, but just deep enough to allow a small trickle of blood to leak through.**

**Scathek hadn’t been able to stop himself from flinching, regardless of how slight it was.**

**“Need I remind you of something soldier?” Kryth hissed, “The only reason you were ever even allowed on this ship was the fact that you’ve managed to earn yourself a sword as your personal weapon. Frankly, I still don’t know what the fools at the academy were thinking when they granted a runt like you this honor, but whatever the reason, the fact still stands that you can easily be removed from your current position if I** **,** **or any other one of your superiors** **,** **see fit.”**

**The blade moved slightly further into his neck, and Scathek easily felt the stinging cold of the metal against his skin. He subtly gritted his teeth, not wanting to appear any weaker than he already seemed. He said nothing in retaliation, instead focusing on maintaining fierce eye contact with Kryth, engaging her in a silent battle of wills.**

**“...I’ll give you credits for guts soldier. You hardly reacted to my blade.” Kryth said after a few intense ticks, “But the order is final. You are dismissed from your position as the Earthling’s guard, especially now that it’s proven itself worthy in a fight.”**

**Kryth removed her blade swiftly from Scathek’s neck and sheathed it expertly, but her glare didn’t leave Scathek for even an instant.**

**“Consider this the last warning soldier.” She hissed again, “You have your orders. Now leave my office.”**

**Scathek wanted to scream. He wanted to break something. He wanted to draw this own sword and challenge her on the spot, regardless of how stupid an idea that was. But he forced himself back. He couldn't risk it, he couldn't risk getting himself thrown into a cell of his own for disrespect, or worse. Not when Shiro needed his help to get out.**

**So, Scathek begrudgingly stood straighter, burying his urge to lash out. “Fine. Vrepit Sa.”**

**Those words now felt like ash in his mouth, all that was left of any real loyalty he felt towards the Empire. He turned to leave, silently screaming at himself to not slam his hand on the keypad to the door on the way out. Kryth said nothing as he left, another clear sign of how he was severely looked down upon as a soldier.**

**The door closed behind him.**

**Scathek stood there in silence, at a complete loss. What could he do now? The reassignment would be effective immediately, as per regulations. That meant he would no longer be able to see Shiro, not without taking out whoever it was guarding him at least. He wouldn't even be able to give Shiro an explanation for his absence. It would also make everything regarding the escape harder to plan.**

**He started walking down the hallways without realizing it, frustrated and demoralised. He was trying to think of any possible way for him to free Shiro,** **_and_ ** **somehow get him off the ship alive, but he hadn't even been able to think of anything before this mess showed up. It was no surprise that nothing useful came up. He was stuck.**

_ -END FLASHBACK- _

“You were replaced?” Hunk exclaimed worriedly. Keith nodded solemnly, recalling how he had felt when the news was delivered. 

“I wanted to argue, but there was nothing I could do if I wanted to be able to stay on the ship, one way or another.” He said truthfully, “Kryth didn't give me an assignment right away, so during that time I decided to try and gather information that might help me.”

“Like what?” Pidge asked.  

“Stuff like cargo schedules and prisoner transfers, as well as stuff about the security systems. I already knew the things like the general layout of the ship, and schedules for most of of the guards at the regular prison. Unlike for the gladiators, those weren't guarded constantly.”

“So how’d that go down for you?” Lance asked, back to his usual demeanor it seemed. Keith gave him a sideways look. 

“Not as well as I’d hoped.” He admitted, “It was easy enough to look up prisoner transfers, since I was a guard, but everything else...not so much, especially after I got assigned to the regular prisoners again. I just...I didn’t know what to do. I tried to see if I could get to Shiro a few times, but I was always turned away. If I continued trying it would’ve become suspicious so I had to stop.”

“So what did you do?” 

“I did what I could. Tried to find ways to maybe break him out after a match, so I checked around the arena for weak spots whenever I could. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to find anything in time.”

“... _ ’in time’ _ ?” Shiro repeated in a hesitant tone and a distressed expression on his face, making those two simple words sound a lot more ominous than they should’ve been. Keith avoided his gaze. 

“Yeah...you were set to fight the arena Champion, Myzax, and by the time I found out, it was too late to prevent it…”

_ -FLASHBACK-  _

**There was no other way to describe it. Scathek was nothing less than mortally horrified when he saw who Shiro’s next opponent was through the screens. When the Champion menacingly stepped out of the shadows of the arena, the crowd went insane. The roars of cheer and cries for blood should’ve been deafening, but for Scathek, it was as if the entire universe had been blurred out of existence.**

**_There was no way Shiro was going to make it out of this one._ **

**Myzax was a brutal and merciless warrior, one of the only few survivors of a violent species from a planet destroyed by the Empire, and was well-known as the only gladiator in history to had ever willingly enter the arena, after contributing to his own planet’s demise. Never once had he allowed an opponent to leave his battlefield alive.**

**_Shiro was going to die._ **

**Upon the realization of this fact, cold, harsh fear had gripped Scathek in a way he had never felt before, and at that moment, all he could think of was trying to get Shiro out of there. He didn’t let himself think at all. He abandoned his post that instant.**

**Scathek rushed straight to the arena, but the regular prisons were a lot farther from it than he ever bothered to remember. By the time he got there, the doors to the arena gates were completely shut, locking him out. Two sentries were stationed there, armed and ready to engage any intruders.He couldn't force his way through, or he would just be restrained before he could get a foot into the arena. Scathek cursed internally, before he took off down the hall, heading towards the spectator stands.**

**He had to find a way to get Shiro out. He had to.**

**The stands were more crowded than Scathek had ever seen them, multiple different species from planets conquered by the Galra present, watching the fight below with bloodthirsty excitement. Scathek had to violently push his way to the front, which wasn't easy when he was so small compared to most of them, on top of the added fact that many of the spectators were naturally covered in rough skin or scales or prickly fur.**

**“Argh! Move!” Scathek yelled as he forced his way through, finally managing to come into contact with the fortified glass of the arena. He looked down, just in time to see Shiro flung harshly against the opposite wall, the weapon he held flying out of his grip upon impact, the very same one he had stolen from the arena sentry the very first time he fought all those months ago, the very same one that he had used in every subsequent fight since then. Shiro collapsed to the ground, clutching his sides in clear agony.**

**“No...Shiro…!” Scathek barely realized he was shaking. All his aggression from mere moments ago faded into nothing but terror and devastation, and once again, the world began blurring into darkness, only Shiro fighting for his life down in the arena in focus. Shiro was still downed, barely moving.**

**“Shiro!” Scathek shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the much louder screams and cheers of the crowd. He wanted to break in, he wanted to drag Shiro out of there himself, but he was frozen, his body refusing to obey him. The blurry darkness closed in on him, swallowing the crowds, and his heart began to race more than ever. Then, Myzax appeared, fading in from the darkness like a sinister, deathly shadow. The killing intent was crystal clear despite the surroundings. He raised his weapon, a deadly sphere of pure, concentrated quintessence, ready to deliver the final blow.**

**“Shiro** **,** **please! Get up!” Scathek shouted again, but it was still little more than a wasted effort. No one could hear him in that darkness, no one would listen.**

**He was panicking.** **_He was panicking._ ** **He couldn’t do anything.** **_He couldn’t do anything._ **

**_“SHIRO!”_ **

**Myzax let loose his deadly energy sphere as Scathek let out one last desperate yell. The sphere sped towards Shiro, and Scathek watched it crash right into the wall of the arena where Shiro’s fallen form lay. A sickening crack pierced through the darkness, and Scathek stopped breathing.**

_ -END FLASHBACK- _

Keith shuddered when he recalled exactly how he had felt when he had thought he’d seen that sphere hit its mark. He recalled the darkness that came when the world seemed to stop entirely, threatening to suffocate him. That particular memory was one of the more vivid ones, and Keith had to look up at Shiro to remind himself that the Earthling was okay. Looking up at him, however, made him realize Shiro was trembling again, clearly shaken. His fingers tightly gripped his forearms, and he was once again paler than he should be. 

However, despite all this, Shiro’s gaze didn’t leave Keith this time, that firm determination from earlier still present in his eyes even with the newfound unease that had settled in. Keith paused, taking a moment to remember how much he had once admired Shiro’s resolve. It seemed that that hadn’t changed. A small sense of relief came with that thought.

Keith sighed. 

“I...I can’t really tell you how I felt at that moment.” He admitted, “I thought Shiro was gone...and I just...I don’t know.”

“...that must have been hard for you.” Allura said, surprising Keith with her remark. It was probably the most compassionate thing she’d said to him since they’d discovered his identity. He looked up at her, making eye contact.

“...I guess it was.” He replied. Allura stared back at him before giving a quick nod, turning to Shiro. 

“Well at least we know that didn’t turn out as badly as you initially thought.” She commented, drawing Shiro’s attention, “Shiro, is everything  alright with you?”

“Y-Yeah. I’m fine.But…” Shiro looked back at Keith, “I can’t remember anything about this Myzax guy.”

“You still must’ve won though.” Pidge pointed out, “I mean, the prisoners we rescued from Sendak’s ship called you ‘Champion’. You had to have beat him, somehow.”

“I know, but I still can’t picture what happened. I mean, how did I manage to beat him?”

“Not sure.” Keith answered, unhelpfully, “It felt like so much was going on then...and I wasn’t really thinking properly at the time...”

“Well, why not just continue, and tell us what you are sure of?” Allura suggested. Keith shrugged, seeing no reason to disagree. 

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**Scathek’s hands were shaking violently, his mind unable to function normally as he feared the worst.**

**_That was Myzax’s most powerful attack...and the force of the swing had been no less than devastating...And that meant…that meant…_ **

**It felt like years before the dust finally cleared.**

**Immediately, Scathek noticed that Shiro wasn’t anywhere in sight. An involuntary gasp escaped him as the darkness around him vanished instantly, sending him back into reality, and he quickly began looking around frantically for any signs of the Earthling. He couldn’t see him anywhere, and somehow, that was even more terrifying than the gruesome sight he had expected to see.**

**Myzax himself was clearly confused at Shiro’s disappearance, as was the crowd. Confused and suspicious murmurs and shouts filled the spectator stands, and Scathek could sense the unrest starting to spread throughout.**

**Then, Scathek saw him. Shiro was hidden behind a pillar, extremely close to the doors he had entered the arena from. Sca** **t** **hek immediately noticed how Shiro was staring straight at him, with a strange expression on his face. Before he could respond in any way, however, Myzax roared, having spotted Shiro again. The deadly purple sphere flew at the Earthling, who quickly rushed out of hiding and barely dodged the attack. He was unarmed, with many wounds on his body already, but otherwise seemed to be okay.**

**However, Myzax didn't even spare a tick before he launched his attack again, and Shiro was forced to move, beginning to run in a wide arc along the edge of the arena. His weapon lay far from him, almost on the other side of the arena entirely, and there didn’t seem to be any way for him to retrieve it with any degree of safety.**

**Myzax was relentless. He sent his sphere flying at Shiro once more, and the Earthling quickly stopped in his tracks and somehow pushed himself back to dodge it. Scathek flinched when he saw how close that particular attack came to hitting its target. Shiro, however, hardly reacted and immediately ducked for cover once again behind an arena pillar. Myzax hadn't noticed him hiding, and roared in frustration when he found that he had lost sight of his prey. Scathek winced, the sharp sound hurting his ears, but he kept his attention focused on where he had seen Shiro hide.**

**At this point, the crowd began yelling again. Scathek was hearing them clearly now, the darkness from before having faded away, leaving him exposed to the taunts and jeers the spectators directed at Shiro for the Earthling’s “cowardly” tactics, despite the fact that Shiro had almost always fallen back to similar tactics before, and was cheered on for it then. It was painfully clear who held the crowd’s favour in this match.**

**Scathek grit his teeth, his emotions going absolutely insane as his frustrations began to rise, frustration at the crowds, at the whole situation, and most of all, at his own uselessness of it all. He had to do something,** **_anything_ ** **, somehow. He had to get Shiro out of there, or least somehow help him find a way to make it out of the match alive. But how? What could he do?**

**Another earsplitting crash sounded. Scathek jumped at the interruption, and he looked back into the arena to see that several thick dust clouds had erupted from the arena when another pillar was destroyed in Myzax’s increasing rage at having lost his prey. However, Shiro hadn’t reappeared anywhere. Scathek quickly looked around for the Earthling. He knew Shiro often used anything he could as a cover when he moved around the arena, and thick dust clouds was as good as cover as any. Scathek strained his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of Shiro anywhere.**

**Yet another pillar was destroyed as Myzax’s rampage continued, and Scathek barely managed to spot the fleeting moving shadow that dashed away through the dust clouds. Shiro was still moving, and if Scathek remembered right, he was heading in the direction of his discarded weapon. He hadn’t given in yet.**

**Myzax sphere returned to him and he blindly hurled it back into the dust. Clearly, his frustration at not being able to catch Shiro was getting to him, and he was resorting to wild and random attacks. Scathek narrowed his eyes upon taking note of that. He’d seen Galra soldiers and former arena gladiators alike fall after losing themselves to their rage and bloodlust. Myzax’s actions were mirroring those of said fallen warriors. He only hoped it was enough to give Shiro an advantage.**

**“Come on Shiro, come on…” Scathek muttered, mostly to try and calm himself down. He was extremely anxious about it all, and not being able to do anything about it was unbearable.**

**The dust clouds began to settle, Myzax seeming to have calmed a bit to properly look around. Scathek instantly felt a spike of panic again. If Myzax was more cautious now…**

**He didn't have time to finish that thought.**

**All of a sudden, a loud cry rang out, and Shiro dashed out from the cover of the clouds, his weapon gripped tightly in his hand. Myzax was clearly shocked by the unexpected attack, and hadn't been able to react in time. Shiro swung the weapon with heavy force, and ferociously slashed the Arena Champion across the abdomen.**

**The most bloodcurdling roar of agony Scathek had ever heard pierced the air of the arena, and not even an instant later, the spectators all broke out into an uncontrollable frenzy, everyone screaming wildly all at once. A burning pain erupted from Scathek’s ears, his overly sensitive hearing unable to bear the sheer volume of the pandemonium that had overtaken the arena.**

**Scathek slammed his hands over his ears as he bit back a yell. The overwhelming noise threw his mind into severe disorientation and he felt himself starting to shake violently. Then, he felt his body weaken, and he began to panic.**

**What if his disguise came undone in such a crowded area?!**

**He had to leave. He couldn’t stay and risk getting exposed. He couldn’t…Another sharp jolt of pain hit Scathek’s ears, and he was sure that he was beginning to lose control over his disguise as his mind began to succumb to his panic. But…**

**_‘No!’_ ** **Scathek shouted at himself internally when he realized he was started to lose his composure,** **_‘Shiro’s still here! I have to get him out! I can’t leave!’_ **

**As if to reinforce that thought, Shiro’s scream suddenly pierced through the noise of the crowds, far louder, and far more distinct than everything else. Another sharp jolt of pain hit Scathek’s ears, but this time, he was far too concerned about the Earthling to care.**

**_What happened to Shiro?_ **

**Scathek’s heart was racing at almost dangerous speeds, but he couldn’t leave, regardless of whatever the risk to himself. He had to know what happened, why Shiro screamed like that, what happened?!**

**He pushed himself forward against the movie crowds, forcing himself to ignore the pain as best as he could, all so he could get a clearer view of the arena.**

**However, once he got there, he almost wished he hadn’t.**

**Myzax was on his knees, a gaping wound dripping with ashen blood where Shiro had landed his attack, but the Champion hadn't let up in the slightest. Scathek felt his own blood drain from his face when he saw that Myzax had dropped his own weapon, and now had Shiro's right arm in a deadly, crushing grip.**

**Shiro hadn't stopped screaming. Scathek could see Myzax’s grip still tightening by the tick. A horrible realization hit him, and he felt as if he had been stabbed in the stomach himself.**

**“No! Shiro!"**

**Scathek slammed his fists against the glass barriers of the arena, only vaguely aware of the darkness that had begun creeping around him again as he started shouting, though his voice was lost in the thunderous roars of the crowd.**

**His mind was reeling, and everything was starting to blur and spin, but he didn’t care,** **_he couldn’t care._ **

**The glass. He had to break the glass. He had to get to Shiro. He had to help him!**

**But Scathek never got the chance.**

**The darkness pounced on him, and reality vanished from sight. Instantly, Scathek was thrown off his feet into the abyss of nothingness, and his mind abruptly went blank.**

_ -END FLASHBACK- _

Again with the silences. Keith was really starting to feel extremely awkward and vulnerable whenever he finished explaining a part to the story. He desperately wanted someone to say something right then, but even Lance kept his mouth shut. The one time Keith actually wouldn't have minded hearing him talk.

A subtle movement caught his eye, and Keith promptly turned to look at Shiro's organic left arm move to touch the one now made of Galra technology. A painfully solemn expression marred his features, and a sharp feeling of guilt and shame hit Keith in the gut. Telling the story had reminded him of his failure to help Shiro, because his stupid weaknesses got in the way and caused him to go into an episode. He hated it. 

Keith looked away, not wanting to think further on that, though that wasn't entirely possible. He knew he would uselessly mull over it either way. 

In the end, the silence was broken by Allura.

...nothing really new there. 

“So , you don't really remember what happened after that?” 

Keith shook his head solemnly. “Not at all. My memory from that one point in time is just blank after that.”

“...does this mean you were exposed?” Hunk asked, his usual anxious tone everyone present in his voice. Keith looked up at him, quickly noting the worried and distressed look on his face. Next to him, Lance wore a similar expression, though he seemed to be slightly more uncomfortable with the thought. Fortunately for them, Keith was able to give them some reassurance.

“I was fine.” He told them, “I was somehow able to get away before I lost consciousness entirely, at least I think I did.”

“‘You think’?” Pidge questioned, having a slightly less apprehensive look towards him for the first time since the whole identity thing was revealed. Keith shrugged at her. 

“Yeah, the next thing I knew, I was back in my assigned room at the barracks. It was a single, so I doubt anyone saw me, because if they did I probably would’ve been killed, or at least detained on the spot, as I woke up with my illusion completely dispelled.”

“So there’s no chance of anyone helping you back there?” Pidge asked again, and suddenly Keith couldn’t help but notice how suspicious he sounded with that last statement.  _ How did he get all the way back there?  _ The barracks weren’t close, he had been trapped in a crowd, and he wasn’t able to remember the details. It would’ve been extremely difficult for him to have made it back safely on his own, but who would help him if they found out about his heritage?

“I don’t know.” Keith finally said, “Maybe someone did help me, but if they did, I can’t remember. Though I don’t understand why anyone would  _ want _ to help. The only one who I can think of would be Thace, since he’s really the only one who knows about me, but he wasn’t anywhere near the arena base. At least not as far as I know.”

“Come on couldn’t it have been one of your fellow guards or something?” Lance asked, sounding considerably troubled, “They can’t all be heartless or anything can they?”

Keith frowned at that.  _ ‘Can’t all be heartless’ _ huh? He looked over at Allura and Coran, thinking of the fact that Alteans and Galra were once allies, and how it may have been possible that the  Galra were a lot different back then, but now…?

“...I don’t know what the Galra were like ten thousand years ago,” He said bitterly to Lance, “but now we’re just ruthless invaders. And losing a single tiny soldier wouldn’t have harmed our forces at all...”

“Keith?” Shiro’s voice suddenly asked, cutting him off. Keith was slightly surprised at his voice, not having expected him to say anything after hearing about what had actually happened to his arm. It wasn’t exactly easy to think about, given the gruesome circumstances. 

“Yeah?” Keith replied, not wanting to dwell on it. Shiro was giving him a strangely expectant look, as if he believed there was something Keith was holding back, even though there wasn’t. 

“If you don’t mind, but I’d just really like to hear how we got out of there now. ” 

Oh. So that’s it.

Keith took a deep breath. Well, at least the worst part of it all was over. The rest of the story was nowhere near as emotionally taxing, though probably no less dramatic.

_ -FLASHBACK- _

**Scathek frowned deeply as he stared into the mirror of his room. There had been no point in hiding his appearance there, but he did anyway. The disguised look of fully dark hair and distinct lack of his mark was something he had grown to see as both a safety net and a chain around his neck. Without it, he was vulnerable, exposed, and in danger. However, with it, he was restricted and unable to be someone he really was.**

**It was as suffocating as the darkness that haunted him.**

**It had been over a month since he watched Shiro fight against the dreaded arena Champion. He had been suspended shortly after, from leaving his post with no one to guard the prisoners while he “went to slack off and entertain himself at the arena”. This was pretty surprising, as he would’ve expected a more permanent punishment, given his poor standing among the soldiers. Honestly though? Scathek hadn't even cared.**

**He had been so drained. Nothing felt like it really mattered anymore. Shiro had disappeared from public view after being declared as the victor of the match, and subsequently the new Champion, but no one without inside intelligence knew what happened to him. Unfortunately for Scathek, that included him.**

**He hadn't even sure if he wanted to know. He clearly remembered watching Shiro's arm crushed into uselessness. Unless his species had regenerative capabilities Shiro neglected telling him about, the Earthling was badly crippled now. And a crippled arena gladiator meant an immediate invitation to the experimental atrocities committed by the Druids. There should have been no way out for Shiro anymore, and Scathek had pretty much given up.**

**However, it seemed like the universe itself was insistent on making sure Shiro did nothing but the unexpected.**

**The announcement came suddenly a few days ago, like those random security drills the superiors sometimes pulled off to keep the younger soldiers in check. The overall message was short and simple, but it had been enough to spark riots of chaotic excitement throughout those who lived for the violence of the arena.**

**_The New Champion was returning._ **

**Scathek stared intently at his reflection, taking in every last detail. He likely wasn’t going to see this version of his appearance anytime soon after this. He would no longer need it, this safety net, this restrictive chain. He was planning something reckless, something extremely dangerous. It was probably going to be the stupidest thing he ever decided to do. But there was no longer time to care.**

**Shiro was alive and well enough to fight again, and that he had been returned to the isolation cells, meaning Scathek had gotten a second chance to make up for his mistake, and make sure he got Shiro out of this Hell like he promised himself he would.**

**But he couldn’t do it as** **_Scathek._ ** **Not anymore. Once he was recognized as a traitor to the Empire, it would only make things so much more difficult, for the Galra would do everything in their power to ensure they slaughtered the one who turned on them. He couldn’t take that risk, with everything as dangerous as it was. If he really wanted to have a shot at doing this, he couldn’t do it as a Galra anymore.**

**He watched as his reflection shifted, the light, white mist of his illusions clouding his appearance. He recalled what Shiro looked like, and his reflection slowly began to morph into a being with a similar form. A strange feeling of awe came over him as he watched his purple skin fade into a strange, pale beige, his hair darkening further into a deep ebony, pointed ears rounding into little stubbs, and his yellow eyes dimming into a white sclera with deep, violet orbs staring back at him in the middle of each one.**

**Taking the appearance of an Earthling would definitely attract unnecessary attention, as there would really be no logical way a being from such a primitive planet would make it this far out in the universe without help, but Scathek felt it was just fitting. If he couldn’t be a Galra, then he would be an Earthling instead, just like Shiro. And as an Earthling, he was going to get Shiro out at last.**

**He looked around his room, looking at the random little things he had familiarized himself with over the years. Sure, this place never felt like it was somewhere he belonged, but the room was at least the only place where he was ever able to be as he was without judgement all that time. A large part of him was already prepared to leave it all behind, but he would be lying if he said that a small part of him wasn’t ready yet.**

**Scathek shook his head. There wasn’t any point to getting sentimental. He had a mission to accomplish.**

**He changed into a prisoner’s garment, which he had stolen a day after the announcement of Shiro’s return. He knew he would just look even more conspicuous in that outfit, but seeing as he was unable to get a hold of any casual clothing that other soldiers didn’t recognize belonged to him, it was his best bet. It wasn’t like he could steal someone else’s clothes to wear, given that they were often literally at least twice his size. He would have to make do with what he could. He did steal a set for Shiro though.**

**Scathek steeled himself.** **_‘Today was the day.’_ **

**He packed up a few things he felt he would need. Extra sets of clothes, a few tool for survival, and some food rations, but they wouldn’t last too long. A few weeks at best, hopefully he and Shiro would reach Earth by then. (He also hoped Earth would be able to accommodate his needs as an** **_outworlder_ ** **, but he decided to put off those concerns for a bit.)**

**Once he was sure he had everything he needed, Scathek threw them all into a small dry sack and threw it over his shoulder, strapping his knife to his back as usual. He was about to run out, ready to start his impossible mission, but he paused at the door when he noticed his sword propped up against the wall next to it, where he always left it.**

**Scathek frowned. Receiving that sword had been an extremely high honour at the time. Swords were only ever gifted to outstanding soldiers of high ranks, yet upon his graduation at the academy, the officials welcoming the graduates into the army made a big show of officially presenting him with the weapon. There had been outrage, and Scathek had been so bewildered he almost didn’t accept it. But he did, and never felt prouder of himself, for finally proving himself to have skills worthy of the Empire.**

**Now, that sword was one of the greatest reminders of what he had done ever since then. He had assisted in the unjust killing of innocents, stolen them from their homes and families, and allowed their planets to be destroyed. The pride of being good enough vanished somewhere along the way.**

**He picked up the sword. It was a high honour to have one of these, but he no longer understood why. And he was done with it.**

**Scathek exited his room for the last time, never looking back at the broken blade he left there, lying abandoned along with the last link of his alliance to the Empire.**

**Scathek first headed to the emergency hangar, crawling through small vents to avoid being seen. Regardless of how reckless he was going to be with this plan, he had to at least make sure that they had a definite way out. He needed to secure at least one of the escape pods there to ensure they could escape quickly and safely or he might as well walk straight into an arena full of rabid gladiators. There was no way chaos wasn’t going to happen after all.**

**As expected, there were plenty of guards there. Granted, most were sentry drones, which would be considerably easy to get rid of, but there were still enough sentient soldiers there to be a significant threat if they all attacked him at once. Scathek knew this was the one part of the plan that needed him to be cautious, so watched them carefully, checking to see if he recognized anyone. He did, but was pretty relieved to find it was just a bunch of rookies he once had to help train.**

**Scathek took a deep breath, preparing himself. He didn’t want to get into a fight just yet, because he needed that pod, and he couldn’t risk a lockdown, which would definitely happen if he was discovered. Time for him to make use of his small size and be a little stealthy.**

**He waited for a moment to make sure no one was watching him before he jumped from the vent, landing quiety and quickly ducking for cover behind a pile of crates, which were filled with emergency supplies. He was surprised at how easy it was to move in the prisoners** **’** **garb, but he supposed it made sense as most of them ended up in the arena at some point. He swallowed the brief sense of guilt he felt as he focused on his task. He looked out towards the main hangar doors, eyeing the neat line of escape pods towards the side on standby, with a small control room partially hidden in the corner.**

**His plan was simple, but also extremely dangerous. He wanted to make sure no one could follow them in the other pods, so he knew he was going to have to input a command to have all the pods locked down at once, and to ensure no one noticed until it was too late, he would need to set it on a delay timer, so the pods would automatically engage the emergency lock system and prevent anyone else from using them unless they managed to get in before the time was up. It was a feature put into place after prisoners had attempted escape this way, and it had proved effective. However, this meant that he had to time the entire mission perfectly, any slight miscalculation in timing could lead to them arriving at the hangar either too early or too late, which would be the perfect chance for the Galra forces to capture them both. There was also a possibility of someone using the feature against them, so he’d have to ensure no one would be able to access the control room easily either.**

**This was a horrifying high-risk gamble. But Scathek knew it was also his best shot at success. He had to take it.**

**He watched the movements of the guards, both sentient and non-sentient. The non-sentient ones were obviously much easier to predict, as their patterns were fairly standard. The actual Galra guards though, they tended to look around more and move in a much more random pattern, but they were also prone to boredom and thus lowering their guards. He just had to be extremely careful…**

**Scathek rushed out to hide behind another pile of crates. He tugged on the strap of his dry sack, ensuring it made no sounds. Sure, other Galra may not have his level of over-sensitive hearing, but they were still good at picking up any unusual noise. The extra precaution seemed to have paid off, as no one appeared to have noticed him. Scathek looked over to his destination again, checked the guards’ positions, and soon moved to repeat his process of dashing and ducking. It was an agonizingly slow process, something he was not at all used to. Charging into things head-first was always the way he’d done things, with the exception of befriending, yes,** **_actually befriending_ ** **Shiro. But this was the one part of the plan that he had to get right. So he dealt with it, ignoring the exasperating little voice in his head that screamed at him to hurry up.**

**Eventually, Scathek was able to make it to the control room. His ears twitched as he listened for anyone inside. There was definitely something inside, but he wasn’t sure if they were sentient or not. Either way though, Scathek would have to silence them. He ignored the sudden sense of fear that gripped him at the thought of possibly having to kill another Galra soldier for the first time. He hurried in.**

**It was a sentry drone, one made for technical operations. Scathek allowed himself to feel a hint of relief when he swiftly drew his dagger and plunged it into the sentry’s metallic back, straight through its core power source. The thing never even saw him coming as it shut down forever, slumping over the controls.**

**Scathek pushed the broken sentry out of the way, knowing he would need to work fast so he could get out as soon as possible. He have never been so grateful for the fact that he hadn’t neglected learning how to work the emergency controls.**

**A few buttons and a flick of a master switch was all it really took. He decided to also input the necessary coordinates of Earth to every pod beforehand, just in case they didn’t have time to do so when it came down to it. However, Scathek hesitated when prompted to input the amount of time for the delay. This was the most important part. He couldn’t get this wrong.** **_He. could. not._ **

**Darkness flickered along the edge of Scathek’s vision, startling him. No, he couldn’t let it get to him now. He closed his eyes, quickly forcing himself to re-focus, before turning his attention back to the keypad. He thought about it a little, and soon decided that four hours would be the safest time range. He knew it wasn’t much, but he also knew that once he got to Shiro, nothing would stand in his way of getting him out.**

**Making his choice, Scathek set the timer. He grabbed one of the small portable timers from the desk, and slipped out of the room, snatching the key by the door on the way out. He locked the door, then sabotaged the lock with his dagger, making sure they wouldn’t be able to get it open so easily. As an extra measure, he kicked the key back under the door.**

**Now to get to Shiro. It would be too difficult to get to the vent now, so he would need to use the service doors, but he still needed to avoid being seen. He grumbled to himself a little. It was one of those times when he was really wishing he was trained to know how to use teleportation, or at least a full illusion capable of cloaking him completely. He wasn't sure if he could waste his time going through the slow process from earlier. Didn't seem like he had a choice though.**

**Scathek was really annoyed with this, but he proceeded anyway. He was admittedly a lot more hasty this time, so he had a few close calls. It took several minutes, again, but he eventually made it.**

**That was when his luck ran out.**

**“Stop right there!” “A prisoner has escaped!” “Get them!” Shouts rang out, shocking Scathek. He risked turning back to look, and instantly saw at least three soldiers rushing towards him.**

**_“Quiznak!”_ ** **He hissed, darting out the room as fast as he could, slamming the door closed behind him as he ran down the halls. Having been spotted, he only had a short period of time before they raised an alarm. (Great, his ears were going to suffer.) He had to get to the isolation cells as soon as he could.**

**Scathek risked looking over his shoulder as he ran, realizing that there was now a larger group of soldiers and sentries chasing after him. They were safe distance from him at the moment, but he knew better than to underestimate the stubbornness of Galra troops. He would have to lose them somehow. Luckily for him, he knew the hallways of the prison ship better than anyone else. Those extra shifts his superiors liked dumping on him were actually proving useful.**

**Scathek ducked into a hallway to his left, then quickly making another left. If he remembered correctly, he was heading towards the main prison area, but he wasn’t about to run straight into the heavily guarded facility with a group already pursuing him. Instead, he made yet another left towards the arena. The constant crowds there would mostly likely be able to create an opportunity to escape. He would have to watch himself though, those in the crowds weren't exactly friendly either, and would likely be especially hostile to someone who appeared to be the same species as their new Champion.**

**As expected, the arena was filled with spectators, watching a match between two gladiators, neither of which Scathek recognized personally. A brief sense of relief was felt at that, as it meant Shiro wasn’t back fighting just yet.**

**The crowd didn’t seem too rowdy then, which was probably for the best. Scathek rushed into the thick of it, barely catching the sound of the doors opening again shortly after he had made it inside. He didn’t stop moving for even an instant, knowing that anyone who managed more than a glance towards him would immediately notice something suspicious.**

**He began hearing shouting, and it wasn’t the kind of crazed excitement from the crowds watching their match. The soldiers were making use of their authority to force their way through now. He had to hurry or risk getting exposed.**

**Scathek quickly scanned the room, hoping to find another vent or something, but the only vents in the room were located really high up. No way he would be able to reach them from the ground. He had to find something else. He kept running forward, trying his best to somehow remain discreet as he pushed his way past the crowds.**

**However, he got careless, unable to watch where he put his feet, and accidentally stepped on someone’s tail.**

**A loud, angry yelp sounded throughout the room, shocking Scathek into momentarily freezing up as multiple pairs of eyes turned to him and his unintentional victim, who appeared to be a sort of furred creature, not unlike a** **_Lanigera_ ** **Galra, but somehow larger and more beast-like. Their furious green eyes pierced through Scathek’s composure, and the moment of hesitation that followed proved costly.**

**“There he is! Capture him!”**

**Scathek’s reaction was immediate. He didn’t think as he bolted for the second time within the hour, this time with a newfound desperation to get away. He wasn’t willing to let Shiro down a second time.**

**“Don’t let him escape!” The soldier shouted, and by that moment, those in the crowd seemed to have caught onto the fact that Scathek was an apparent prisoner. They began closing in on him themselves. Great. As if things weren’t difficult enough.**

**Roars and hisses joined in the shouting, and instantly Scathek’s ears began to suffer the consequences as the sounds around him rose to unbearable volumes. His head pounded, and again, the edges of his vision started to cloud with wisps of darkness. No, not now. Not now!**

**Scathek bit his lip, hard enough to just barely draw blood. The stinging pain he had just inflicted on himself quickly forced him back to his senses, just in time as he dodged a swipe from one of the spectators.**

**This was getting ridiculous! It was a stupid idea to come in here!**

**Just as he thought so, something grabbed his ankle and Scathek lost his balance, crashing to the ground. He let out a grunt when he hit the floor, but he wasn’t going to let anyone take advantage of his position. He twisted his body around and swiftly drew his dagger, slashing at the thing that had grabbed him, which appeared to be an arm covered in scales. It released him upon being slashed, a screech sounding from an unseen source as Scathek scrambled to his feet. Unfortunately, the fall had cost him even more than the hesitation from before. He was surrounded by countless aliens, and the Galra soldiers would be upon him in a moment.**

**There was no way he would let that happen.**

**There was only one way out now, so he better take it.**

**“What the…?!” The soldier closest to him cried out in alarm when Scathek suddenly turned towards him and rushed at him at top speed, sending a punch at the soldier’s helmet and knocking him off balance. Before he could respond, Scathek leapt on top of him and used the soldier’s knees as a springboard to get above crowd levels. From there, he began running once again, using the many heads and shoulders of the multiple aliens as his stepping stones.**

**Cries of outrage broke out as the entire spectator stand grew absolutely chaotic. Even the fighters below seemed confused at the frenzy Scathek was causing, though he couldn’t be sure. Either way, he had found his way out.**

**Scathek finally reached a vent above a door in the corner of the room. He jumped up from his last perch, who was fortunately of a larger species and just barely managed to grasp onto the latch next to the vent. He tore the cover from the wall, and in a moment of pure spite, he tossed it straight down at his Galra pursuers with considerable force, knocking them down.**

**“See you later boys!” He shouted at them one last time as he disappeared into the vent. He knew they would probably try smoking him out eventually, so he decided it would probably be best if he got out as soon as possible. At the next opening, he checked if anyone was around, and once he was sure there was no one, he dropped out and immediately checked his time. He cursed upon realizing that almost an hour had passed already.  He looked around for any sort of directory panel that were normally installed near certain rooms. Coming in through the vents weren’t exactly helpful in his navigation.**

**Suddenly, his ears twitched, and his hands quickly flew up to the sides of his head to shield them from the piercing wail of the alarm that finally sounded. Scathek ducked into a hallway, peeking out slightly to see several armed soldiers and sentries hurrying past. They sure moved quickly.**

**Scathek waited until they all passed, and once he was in the clear, he ran out and down the empty hallway. He wasn’t entirely sure where he was, and his disoriented state from having to deal with the alarms wasn’t at all helpful, and could only pray that his guess was right when he decided it was the right way to go.**

**After several minutes, he had to hide again when another swarm of soldiers and sentries rushed past him. This time, he was lucky enough to stop by one of those directory panels, and quickly checked his location on it after the swarm passed. He frowned upon realizing he wasn’t as close to the isolation cells as he had hoped. He was close to the regular cell blocks though, and he decided it would probably be best if he cut through there. He took off at once.**

**The cell blocks were usually heavily guarded, understandably, but it seemed the place had been put into lockdown after the alarm was sounded. Many of the guards had left, maybe to join in the search for him, and probably didn’t expect the apparent prison escapee to head back** **_towards_ ** **the place of imprisonment. It was strange though, to utilize this many soldiers just to go after a single Earthling? He must have really angered those soldiers from earlier. Or maybe it was due to him making a fool of them in front of all those other species of** **_outworlders_ ** **. Scathek felt no remorse for it though. He had wanted to get back at most of the others for a long time anyway.**

**He ran past the many locked doors, forcing himself to block out the desperate cries of the prisoners who had managed to catch a glimpse of him as he ran past. Guilt burned him, but he knew he couldn’t possibly get them all out, and perhaps, as selfish as it was, he really only wanted to get Shiro out. He...he wasn’t sure how to deal with the others if he did try.**

**Eventually, Scathek managed to arrive at his destination. The isolation cells were quiet as usual, and he knew it would be much easier to sneak past certain places here, as ironic as it was.**

**Almost none of the guards present were patrolling. Not like they ever needed to. The prisoners there were always secured no matter how powerful they were. Scathek hurried to Shiro’s cell, checking his time as he did. A little under two hours had passed. A feeling of dread washed over him. What if couldn’t make it back in time? What if he…**

**The instant he caught sight of the darkness again, he swiftly squeezed his eyes shut.** **_Stop it. Stop thinking about stupid things and focus._ **

**He soon entered the area where Shiro used to be held. The feeling of dread returned, and suddenly he realized he never even took the time to make sure Shiro was still kept in the same place. Scathek let out a growl of frustration, cursing himself for the oversight. He would just have to hope Shiro was in fact there. He prayed he was.**

**Deciding there wasn’t much else he could do, Scathek rushed in, dagger drawn and ready to fight. There were two guards, only one of them carrying a short sword. Scathek attacked the sword-user first, immediately using his speed and the element of surprise to his advantage as he clashed blades with the guard, knocking the sword away from his opponent before delivering a swift punch straight between the eyes. The guard only let out a loud grunt of pain as he crumpled to the floor. Scathek turned to the other, who instantly began shooting at him with the blaster as the shock wore off. Scathek ducked and dodged, but a blaster-user was definitely trickier to get around, seeing as he would not stop shooting and Scathek’s dagger was too short to reach him.**

**Still, Scathek was fully aware of the fact that in this fight, he was the one in control.**

**“You worm!” The guard shouted, as if insulting Scathek would do anything to help him. Scathek had been insulted all his life, after all. He was barely affected anymore. The guard was growing frantic, and he would soon be able to make use of that.**

**Just like Shiro did.**

**His chance came. The guard began to slow, just a little, and in that instant, Scathek threw his dagger with deadly precision at the guard’s shoulder. The blade of his dagger collided with the guard’s armoured shoulder pads, preventing any real harm to be done, but Scathek hadn’t even intended to hurt him with that throw. It was little more than a distraction. And it worked.**

**The guard had panicked the moment the dagger left Scathek’s hand. He stopped shooting for just a tick, and that was enough for Scathek to close the distance between them in the limited space. A fearsome punch to the abdomen below the chestplate and a roundhouse kick to the side of the head was all it took to bring that one down.**

**Scathek reminded himself to breathe as the adrenaline began to wear off. He quickly snatched up his dagger and put it back into its sheath. He looked down at the unconscious Galra, wanting to make sure the two guards wouldn’t wake up soon, but he wasn’t willing to risk any little bit of time he had. A small voice in his head was asking him why he didn’t kill them, like he did with the sentry in the hangar control room, but he didn’t want to entertain that. He went straight to the cell door, opening it at once.**

**“Shiro? Shiro are you there?” He quickly asked, his eyes scanning the cell. For a second, it seemed like he wasn’t there, and Scathek almost feared the worst. However, relief flooded him when a weak voice from the corner spoke.**

**“...who...who are...you…?” Shiro whispered, and Scathek finally saw him. His eyes widened at the sight.**

**Shiro looked...** **_exhausted._ ** **He was slumped in his corner, and seemed to be completely drained of life, his pale skin almost paler than ever, his eyes clouded and almost unseeing. It scared Scathek to see him like that. This wasn’t the Earthling who had smiled and laughed despite his terrible imprisonment, who had enlightened Scathek with stories of Earth.**

**Worst of all, Shiro’s arm...it was gone, replaced by a cold, mechanical...** **_thing._ ** **The slight purplish glow to it was evidence of Druid experimentation. Scathek’s heart dropped.**

**They had broken him. The Galra...his kind, had broken Shiro, the only real friend he ever had.**

**White, hot fury seeped into Scathek’s veins as darkness began to cloud his vision again, though this time he couldn’t bring himself to care. They had hurt Shiro, and now, every fibre of his being was telling him to make sure they got what they deserved. He wanted to hurt them back, make sure they felt all the pain they’d inflicted on Shiro and more.**

**But...he wasn’t an idiot. He knew his priorities, and that was getting Shiro out of there. Letting his rage control him was just going to end up jeopardizing his own mission. He couldn’t allow that. They had to go, and he had to control his emotions.**

**Scathek hurried to Shiro’s side, dropping to his level. “Shiro, Shiro** **,** **come on we have to go!”**

**Shiro hardly reacted, which was worrying. He raised his head up painfully slowly, but his eyes didn’t really seem to see Scathek when he once again asked his question. “Who...are you…?”**

**A sense of panic seized Scathek. If they couldn’t get out of there, they were going to get caught and he’d never be able to get Shiro back home. He had to do something, but what…?**

**Wait...his mother’s melody, would it help at all? It seemed to help Shiro before, so why not now? He didn’t really have other ideas. He just hoped he’d have enough time.**

**Scathek started to hum. The tranquil little melody filled the cell, and Scathek could feel himself calming down. He carried on with the song, hoping it worked for Shiro too.**

**It did. Halfway through the melody, Scathek felt a strong hand grab his arm. He jumped and stopped humming, startled by the sudden action, but his surprised quickly morphed into relief when he saw that Shiro was looking at him, no longer lifeless, though he still looked tired. However, there was a lot of confusion in his eyes, and he asked again.**

**“Who are you? Are you…?”**

**“Yeah, it’s me. Druid magic.” Scathek answered this time, standing up, “You all right to do some running Shiro?”**

**“What?”**

**“We’re getting out of here. Come on, we’re running out of time.” Scathek was a lot calmer now, surprisingly. He wondered if his mother’s melody had anything to do with it as he held out his hand, offering the Earthling this chance at freedom.**

**Shiro stared up at him, a look of disbelief completely evident on his face, but after a moment, he took Scathek’s offered hand.**

**“Ready then?” Scathek asked. Shiro nodded, newfound determination on his face. Scathek returned the gesture with a slight nod of his own, and they both headed out. Before they left though, Scathek grabbed the short sword from the guard he knocked out earlier.**

**“You might need this to defend yourself.” He said to Shiro, who took the weapon carefully. He stared at it for a moment, but didn’t seem to be against the idea. He looked back up at Scathek.**

**“What about you?” He asked.**

**“Don’t worry, I never go anywhere without my knife. It’s enough.”**

**Shiro looked skeptical, but didn’t argue. With that settled, they ran out.**

**Scathek quickly gave Shiro a brief summary of the plan as he checked their time. They had an hour and a half left at best. They were going to have to hurry if they wanted to make it on time, and that meant that they had to take as many possible shortcuts as possible, even if it meant that they had to run head-first into a fight. And they did.**

**Taking care of the few guards that attempted to block them within the cell blocks was easy enough, but upon heading out to the halls, they were quickly ambushed by several soldiers and sentries, leaving them no choice but to fight their way through.**

**“Shiro to your left!” Scathek shouted as he knocked a soldier to the ground with a well-timed kick. Shiro reacted instantly, spinning around and sidestepping just enough for the soldier to miss him as he grabbed her arm and used her own momentum against her, throwing her at yet another two It seemed that despite Shiro’s condition, the combat skills he had been forced to hone in the arena had not dulled. The prosthetic arm glowed a sinister purple each time Shiro used it, and it destroyed many of the sentries without much concern.**

**Scathek wasn’t holding back either. He guarded Shiro’s back as he fought off the Galra, a new rush of adrenaline unlike anything he had ever felt before burning his very soul, giving him strength. There was none of that darkness for once while he fought, none of that fear and guilt. Scathek fought, and he fought with a purpose.**

**His dagger clashed with his opponents’ blades, his small size making it easier for his opponents to push past him with brute force, but Scathek knew how to use this speed. He never allowed himself to stop moving, resorting to quick, single strikes before backing off momentarily only to repeat the process over and over again.**

**“Look out above you!” Shiro shouted at him, and Scathek’s eyes darted upwards as a** **_Reptilian_ ** **soldier readied his blaster in the air. Scathek darted forward and dodged the blasts, snatching the soldier’s ankle and disrupting his landing. His fall pushed the rest back, creating an opening.**

**“Shiro** **,** **let’s move!” Scathek called, and Shiro pushed back a few sentries before he joined Scathek in escaping the fray.**

**“Thanks for the help back there!” Shiro yelled at him as they ran, but Scathek quickly shook his head.**

**“Save the thanks for when we actually get out of here!” He yelled back without looking at the Earthling.**

**“All right, but we have to find a way to get away from those guys first!”**

**Scathek grimaced, remembering his last attempt. “Shiro there’s no time for that! We have to just move!”**

**Shiro didn’t verbally respond, and Scathek only hoped it meant he agreed. He wasn’t stupid though, he did understand Shiro’s logic, and he knew Shiro wasn’t in the best condition. But his own words were still true. They were running out of time, and if they didn’t hurry, they wouldn’t make it.**

**Scathek checked the time. Less than thirty minutes were left.**

**_‘Please hang in there Shiro, just a little longer.’_ ** **He thought to himself, almost desperately, as he glanced at the Earthling over his shoulder. Shiro may be in better shape than earlier, but the exhaustion was still there. However, they simply couldn’t afford to slow down.**

**Many more soldiers and sentries joined in the chase as they tore down the halls. Both Scathek and Shiro had to fight off multiple of them who either got too close or shot at them too much using blasters and other similar weapons. It slowed them down for sure, but fortunately it wasn’t by much.**

**Finally, they arrived at the emergency hangar. They stormed their way inside, clearly startling everyone inside. Scathek prayed that no one managed to get into the control room. He didn’t have time to check though. The soldiers had recovered from their shock, and joined in those who had chased them from the start. Those with blasters continued shooting at them, making it difficult to move. One look, and Scathek already knew there was no way they would be able to fight them all off. There were too many of them, and they were far too close.**

**The chance of them both making it out was almost non-existent now. But no matter what, Scathek** **_refused_ ** **to let his mission become a failure.**

**They got to the pod and Scathek quickly opened its door. Shiro was right behind him, but so were a few soldiers. Suddenly, a terrible feeling came over him, and the world slowed.**

**From the corner of his eyes, Scathek saw their raised blades and the glow of Shiro’s arm a fleeting moment before they clashed.**

**The timer beeped.**

**_Time was up._ **

**Scathek stopped thinking. His body moved on its own as he shot at the Galra and physically forced them back himself. Grunts of shocked alarm were heard, but hardly registered as Scathek pushed off them, not about to waste the chance he just gave himself. He grabbed Shiro by the arm and practically threw the Earthling into the pod. Shiro yelled something at him, with something desperate in his voice, but Scathek wasn’t able to hear what was said.**

**The doors immediately began to close and Shiro rushed towards him, but there was no way Scathek was joining him in that pod now. All he could do, was yell out one last thing.**  
**“Goodbye!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the cliff-hanger but the chapter was getting way too long. Also, sorry again, but y'all aren't getting an answer to that for a while after this chapter either. EHEHEHEH......please don't kill me. 
> 
> Warning, this section of the author's notes contains Season 2 spoilers, not much but still there. Read at your own risk! 
> 
> I won't talk about it too much unless it concerns this story in particular here, cuz I'd rather save that for Tumblr (y'all can come bother me there) and my friends, but I will say, I literally screamed when I heard Galra Keith is canon. It was fantastic and probably one of the biggest motivators into getting me back to working on this. I am a little salty on that matter because of the lack of a reveal scene, but eh. Also Hunk is precious okay? He and Keith bonding is giving me life. And the Red Lion. I can't. I almost feel bad for not letting her(?) accept Keith in this story. Almost. By the way, does anyone else find it weird they didn't show the reveal scene of Keith telling everyone he's Galra? And we only really saw Hunk and Allura's reactions for some reason, heck, Shiro was there when it happened and we didn't even see how he reacted, and NOW HE'S GONE WHY I CRY.
> 
> Anyway, I've actually had pretty similar ideas to the canon storyline planned for this story, but there are some significant differences. I mean, it's still an AU that I planned before Season 2 came out. The biggest conflict with the AU compared to canon would be that Druids are still gonna be considered a Galra race primarily, and not like how Haggar was revealed to Altean (I DID NOT SEE THAT ONE COMING AT ALL), and I will be ignoring the existence of Keith's canon human father right now (No offence bruh). Lore of the Druids, Galra, and Alteans will stay as I planned, and the Galra home planet is still alive. The system of the Blade of Marmora will be changed though. Basically they will appear, but fundamentally only in name. I know that's technically a spoiler for this story itself, but hey, I'm fairly certain most of you expected that already. I won't go into detail about their significance here though. Not yet at least. 
> 
> That's pretty much all I got at the moment, so if you have any questions, let me know. Thanks again guys!


	8. Conflicted Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How to turn plot holes into plot devices 101". Also, a lot of emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm mostly kidding about the plot holes thing. Most of the apparent plot-holes so far were intentional, but I actually did look back at chapters and fixed some plot holes by weaving them back into the story. Hopefully that wasn't too obvious. :P
> 
> That said, this chapter is less of a plot-driver and more of a short character development chapter. Which...is why it's a heck lot shorter than usual. Also I did not want a third Keith chapter in a row, and due to what I'm planning in the future, this chapter is going to be really vague regarding what else happened with Keith's escape. It's a Hunk-centered chapter, and kind builds around his and Lance's friendship. So yeah there is a lot of emotional baggage in this chapter. It got somewhat personal writing this, which made this both an easy and difficult chapter to write. If you're interested in the details of why this was personal, I've written about it a little in the lower author's notes if you're interested.

**** Hunk listened to Keith carefully, fidgeting almost the entire time, but Keith hadn't seemed to notice. He just told his side of the story levelly, with militaristic discipline for the most part, but frankly, Hunk would have had to be blind to miss the obvious signs of distress. 

Hunk had been particularly disturbed when he watched Keith's expression when he talked about Shiro's championship fight. He had actually looked terrified. Maybe he thought he was hiding it well, but Hunk knew what to look out for, having dealt with years of severe anxiety, and from watching others, like Lance. 

Keith must have been so terrified when he thought Shiro had died. Hunk knew  _ he _ would've been. The thought of innocent people, alien or not, being tossed into fights of life-or-death for the entertainment or others was bad enough, but to have to deal with watching someone you cared about inside, then to think they died a death so horrible...Hunk felt his skin crawl uncomfortably. He rubbed his arms, though that hardly did much, as they were all still in uniform except for Keith. 

Hunk wasn't keen on commenting for the most part. He wanted to know what happened and get it over with. He wasn't sure how much of this he could take hearing. Lance, on the other hand, seemed to have some sort of distracting comment to interrupt the story with every now and again. Not that Hunk didn't understand why. 

Being close friends and roommates, it had become easy to see how Lance dealt with his stress. It was easy to see how the whole story was actually scaring him, otherwise he would never be putting on his “goofball” act so dramatically like what he was doing. Also, considering how Lance had reacted to Shiro's comment about “getting over it”, it was likely that he was still feeling strong emotions about it all. 

Hunk frowned when Keith told them about how he just awoke in his room after apparently fainting in the crowds. His first thought had been little more than a sudden, gripping fear that Keith had been exposed as a half-Druid or whatever. If the Galra was anything like how humans could be when it came to race, there was no telling how bad it would've been for Keith. So when Keith told them he wasn't exposed, Hunk could not help but feel a powerful sense of relief. 

Pidge, however, took the escape and Keith's apparent memory blank much more severely. It was plainly obvious to see the suspicion lurking behind those glasses, and Hunk couldn't find it in him self to blame his shorter friend. Pidge had a point, for Keith to so conveniently escaped without being exposed, while having no recollection of what happened, it didn't make sense. Also, why would anyone have helped him, if the Galra were really as cruel as Keith was suggesting they were? 

Hunk was never a stranger to racism. Having such tanned skin, no matter how proud or comfortable he was with it, rarely did him any favours when it came to situations regarding dealing with ignorant idiots back on Earth. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Keith, who had felt the need to literally conceal half of his heritage for so long just to make sure he survived. It sounded too much like the horrors of things Hunk used to learn in those boring history classes from before the Garrison.

But someone had to have saved Keith right? If not, how would he have made it out without being discovered? That didn't make sense! Surely it meant that not all the Galra were as bad as what Allura and Keith described...right? It was really hard to come to any conclusion at that point. 

Hunk was almost relieved when Shiro asked for Keith to continue from where he left off.  

However, Hunk found that he felt uneasy with the way Keith described the desire to appear like something he wasn't, in his case,  _ human.  _ Like how he wished he could reject being Galra completely. Hunk could not stop himself from sneaking a peek towards Lance in his moment of concern. Like he expected, Lance’s brow was furrowed in clear discomfort. He was also uncharacteristically silent here, which was another major sign of his hidden distress. Neither of them said anything about it, but Hunk was fairly certain they would need to talk about this soon. 

Hearing about the actual escape was no less stressful. It was as if he was listening to a suspense-filled thriller audio drama, Keith's overly seriously tone being of no help whatsoever. Hunk was literally on the edge of his seat when Keith almost got caught in the arena spectator stands. Lance had silently patted his back lightly to try and calm him down, but it didn't really help much. The gesture was appreciated though. 

However, soon, there was something strangely wrong about what Keith was telling them. Hunk had a decent memory, and Shiro had told them that Keith had come in pretending he was under orders to get Shiro out. That meant that Shiro must’ve remembered him rescuing him in Galra form, right? Hunk looked over at Shiro and Pidge in particular when he thought about this. Both of them had frowns on their faces, but it was hard to determine what emotions those frowns held. Neither of them interrupted to point out the slight inconsistency either, which honestly, could probably be attributed to Shiro’s partial amnesia as well. So Hunk gulped as he hid his own suspicions and allowed Keith to finish. 

Keith soon came to the conclusion of his time with Shiro. He stopped talking after telling them about how he threw Shiro into the pod and launched it from the hangar. He looked upset in a whole new way now, as if that one memory was more painful than anything else he had told them. 

He didn't continue. He just looked down. Hunk glanced around at the others. They were looking at Keith expectantly, clearly wanting to know what happened after that. But Keith wasn't offering anything. Allura reacted first. 

“Keith.” She said his name firmly, in a tone which seriously unnerved Hunk, “How did you get to Earth before Shiro then, if you were left behind?” 

Keith froze up at once. Hunk and Lance both noticed it, and Hunk immediately felt a twinge of both concern and confusion. Concern because it was just in his nature to worry about someone's well-being, but...confusion because, well, why would Keith been so tense at the question? He had no reason to, unless...

“I...I er…” Keith was suddenly tongue-tied, which wasn't a good sign for him. Hunk's hands closed into tight fists as the concern grew. What was Keith doing? Was he trying to make things look worse for him? 

“Is something wrong?” Allura asked again, and Hunk instantly noticed the sudden cold edge to her voice. She was feeling suspicious, and it seemed that Pidge and Coran were starting to feel the same way. Shiro appeared unsure of what to think, while Lance hardly displayed any reaction, which was alarming on its own. As for Hunk himself, he wasn’t sure either. He was concerned above all else, and he really didn’t want to think badly of Keith, who just didn’t seem to be the type of guy who deserved that, but he couldn’t argue with the fact that Keith may be hiding something. 

“I...I don’t remember…” Keith finally said, but it clearly wasn’t anything anyone wanted to hear. 

“What do you mean you ‘don’t remember’?” Pidge snapped almost immediately, “How can you not remember how you got to Earth when you remembered everything else just fine?”

“I...I don’t know!” Keith replied, but there was hardly any hostile energy in his voice, unlike how he argued with Lance before, “I, I was sure I remembered how I got here but I...I don't remember anything…”

“...fine.” Allura said, clearly unconvinced, “What else do you actually remember?” 

Hunk gulped at the tone she used. It was full of silent accusation and contempt, and it seemed that Keith noticed too, if his flinch was anything to go by. However, he met Allura’s gaze perfectly, clearly suppressing his discomfort in order to do so. 

“I…” Keith started again, his voice trembling ever so slightly before he cleared his throat and continued, “I remember waking up with a headache...and inside a different kind of escape pod. I came out to check its condition, but it was mostly destroyed on the outside, so I didn’t want to risk trying to fly it again.

“I knew I was on Earth, so I made sure I had my illusion cloaking me before I went looking around. It was pretty much... _ empty _ , where I landed, but I eventually came to find that shack out there.”   


“You mean the shack you took us too after rescuing Shiro?” Lanced asked. Keith gave him a look, probably due to the interruption, but otherwise nodded. 

“Yeah that’s it. I needed to rest, so I went to see if I could find some shelter there. I remember thinking it was strange, with all those maps and drawings stuck on the walls and the strange machinery in the main room. But seeing the amount of dust and decay in that place, it was obvious no one had been there in a while.”

“So the shack already had all that when you found it huh?” Pidge asked, and Keith just nodded. 

“I didn’t think much of the stuff then,” He responded, “I only needed the shack to rest and get my strength back. So I just slept there for a night or two. I found your facility, the Garrison…?...a few days after.” 

“That's pretty far from the shack though.” Hunk commented, not really liking how vague Keith's storytelling was getting. It would only give them more chances to suspect his motives, and Hunk didn't want to have to do so. He wasn't sure why, but he really wanted to trust Keith. Call it merely gut instinct, but Hunk never had any reason to doubt his. 

Keith hardly reacted to his comment though, shrugging slightly as if that tiny detail was completely insignificant. Maybe to him, it was.

“I didn't exactly have anything else to do Hunk,” He said in reply, “I was stuck here, and I didn't know anything about what was around me. I didn’t have any reason to stay in that shack then. The only thing I could do was to explore and try to figure my way around. I found the Garrison, and  I investigated.” 

“Is there where you got all your clothes and food?” Lance asked again, seemingly becoming more comfortable and like his usual self again, “I mean you couldn't have gotten Earth canned food and those kinda clothes from where you were right?”

“...Yeah, I got all that stuff from the Garrison.” Keith admitted, “I wasn't sure how long I'd be stuck on Earth, so I decided it would be best to learn about the people here. Maybe blend in. So I stole some clothes from there and explored the place. I made sure to stay out of sight as best I could, and mostly spent my time watching the other Earthlings going about their day. It was... _ weird _ , seeing so many of your kind in one place without any knowledge of the war going on out there.

“However...seeing you Earthlings only made me think of Shiro. I had no idea where I was and I didn’t know if he ever made it back to Earth. I felt like I needed to find out, I needed to know if Shiro made it back safely somehow. So, I started looking around the Garrison to see if I could find anything.”

“Wait , did you even know Shiro was from here?” Lance asked again, sounding like he was genuinely just becoming more and more curious. Hunk felt a slight hint of relief, but didn’t comment.

“No...I had no clue.” Keith answered, “But the Garrison was the only source of information I had. The facility was in the middle of nowhere, and I had no way of exploring any further on foot. At one point, I managed to get into a room filled with files and documents, but I couldn’t read any of it, so it was pretty much useless to me. In the end, I decided it would be best to just forget it and go out and search for Shiro myself. There didn’t seem to be a point in staying around.

“So I snuck into the Garrison one night for supplies. I wasn’t sure how much I needed, because I had no idea how long I’d have to travel. For all I knew, I might’ve had to search the whole planet. But there was no way I could do it on foot, so I went to the Garrison’s hangar...or, whatever you call where you keep your vehicles, to find something.”

“Wait , wait , wait , wait , wait,” Lance interrupted again, “are you suggesting you got your awesome hovercraft thing from the Garrison?”

“...Yes…? Why’s that so surprising?” Keith asked in confusion with a raised eyebrow. Hunk blinked as Lance’s jaw dropped a little. Even Shiro and Pidge seemed surprised. 

“The Garrison doesn’t have anything that looks like the vehicle you rode when you went to get Shiro.” Pidge explained, an unreadable expression on his face, and Keith blinked.

“Really? That would explain why it was the only one that looked different in there.” He said bluntly.

“For real though what have they been hiding from us there?” Lance quipped, folding his arms across his chest.

“They hide a lot of things Lance…” Pidge huffed rather bitterly, mimicking Lance’s gesture and folding his arms. 

“I mean , yeah , but a hovercraft thingie?” 

“Oh come on they hide so much information already and you’re more concerned over them hiding a single vehicle?”

“What’s up with you all of a sudden? You’re suddenly so much more wound up than you were like , five seconds ago!”

“I am not wound up!”

“Guys , cool it!” Shiro yelled, stopping the argument before it could escalate. Hunk flinched at the shout, instantly reminded of Shiro’s mental state. He silently scolded himself for letting it slip his mind. Lance and Pidge seemed to realize this too, and both of them quickly backed down, each with a soft mutter of apology. Hunk bit his lip. He should’ve been the one to stop them before they began to raise their voices. He glanced over at Keith as well, and found that Keith seemed to have shrunken back slightly at the situation as well. Only Allura and Coran seemed generally unaffected, except for the identical looks of worry they sent towards Shiro, who suddenly seemed remorseful.

“I’m...I’m sorry. I…” Shiro stammered, “I just...ugh...Keith, please just finish it.”

“Er...okay…” Keith replied uncertainly (not that anyone could blame him probably), straightening his posture. He glanced at everyone briefly before he finally started to conclude the whole thing. 

“Well...I took the vehicle, the hovercraft, and managed to get some extra supplies like empty bottles and a bunch of that food in cans the Garrison seemed to have a huge stock of. I took a few more sets of clothing, some in Shiro’s size in case I ever found him and he needed it, and left. I think I heard alarms sounding at some point, but I was far away by then.

“I headed back to the shack first. I needed to know if there was anything there I could use, like one of the maps maybe. But when I got there, I...I began to feel this energy, calling out to me. I couldn’t explain it at the time, but whatever it was told me I needed to stay. I needed to find it. Turns out that was the Blue Lion.”

At that, Hunk noticed Allura stiffen. Coran seemed to have noticed too, and shot her a concerned look. But the others all still had their attention on Keith, and no one interrupted this time as Keith finished once and for all. 

“I ended up staying.” He said, a hint of guilt in his voice, “As much as I wanted to go out and look for Shiro, the Blue Lion’s energy was just something I couldn’t ignore. It...It made me feel like there was something coming, and something big. I didn’t know what that meant, but I ended up trying to figure out where the energy was coming from. 

“I tried to make use of the machines in the room, though I really wasn’t sure what I was doing. I used the maps more and went out to look for the source. That’s how I found the cave with the Blue Lion’s carvings. It was then I realized it was one of the Lions of Voltron. That was when I really started trying to figure things out.

“I don’t know how long I ended up staying, but many, many days passed as I tried to find the exact location of the Lion. I had to go back to the Garrison at one point, though I got caught talking those cans of food. I was lucky, the Earthling who caught me let me take them, and let me come back for more if I ever needed them, which solved the subsistence issue. After that...well, eventually, Shiro’s pod finally landed, and you all know what happened from there.” 

With that, silence descended in the room. Hunk really didn’t like the silences much. A silent room full of people always meant that everyone was unsure of what to say, or that they were afraid what they wanted to say wasn’t appropriate for the situation. Either way, it felt unnatural to have so many people around, but with no one saying anything. He couldn’t stand it. He had to say something. 

“So…” Hunk started, trying to think of words while sounding as calm as possible, which was harder than it should be, “...you...um, you knew about Voltron already huh?”

Keith gave him a look, and Hunk wasn’t sure if it was meant to be pitiful or legitimately concerned. 

“Yeah, I knew.” He said, “The stories of Voltron were pretty common, but they were normally just a bunch of stories those from other planets told their young, about how Voltron would one day come and destroy the Galra Empire. Among the Galra though, it was a little more of a story of the Alteans’ supposed betrayal and Zarkon’s reign. I never really believed it was actually real though.”

“...the  _ Alteans’ _ betrayal, you said?” Allura said icily, and Keith turned to her. He stared at her more a few seconds, and she returned it, as if there was a silent challenge between them. Hunk wanted to kick himself. He wanted to dispel the tension not cause more it! 

“Now now Princess, calm down for a bit.” Coran said, much to Hunk's relief. Allura’s gaze broke away from Keith and she turned to her fellow Altean, raising an eyebrow, as if questioning him. Coran wasn't fazed at all, continuing without any evident reaction. 

“We know Keith here was raised by the Galra, and we don't know what kind of propaganda they've used all this time to convince the younger generations into supporting Zarkon.” 

Allura frowned, but didn't argue. It was a good point after all. Who knew what kind of lies were taught to the general Galra public all those years?

Allura sighed, turning back to Keith. “I suppose Coran is right. But tell me, do you believe the stories of the Alteans betraying Zarkon?”

Okay, Hunk couldn't help but think the situation was a little unfair. Keith was being put in the spot right then. He was their prisoner, and if he answered wrongly Allura wouldn't take it kindly. Hunk really wanted to speak out against it, but he was too worried he would cause even more tension with his careless words. Maybe it was better if he just stayed quiet for now. 

Keith seemed to realize the circumstances of the situation as well. His body was rigid and tense, and he was almost glaring at Allura at this point, but somehow still managed to look borderline respectful. 

“If you want an honest answer,” He finally said, “it's that I don't actually care. The story was that the Alteans rejected helping Zarkon during the time of decline of our home planet, despite the alliance between the two. Desperate to save what was left, Zarkon had no choice but to forcefully take Voltron and do what he had to do, while paying the Alteans back for their refusal. But whether or not that happened, it was over ten thousand years ago. It doesn't change the fact that your entire solar system was destroyed, it doesn't change the fact that Zarkon’s become a tyrant bent on dominating the universe, and it doesn't change the fact that I've seen the ruthlessness of the Empire with my own eyes. So frankly I don't care if the story was true or not. Whatever happened then doesn’t change what’s happening now.”

Allura’s eyes narrowed at his long answer. Hunk kept looking back and forth between them as they continued their painfully tense staring contest for a few seconds longer.

Finally, Coran took it upon himself to end it there. Thank goodness. 

“All right, that's a fair answer.” He said loudly, drawing everyone's attention, “But anyway Princess, I think the discussion has gone on long enough for one day. It's really getting late now, and we should all get some proper rest. We can continue any further discussion tomorrow.”

Allura once again raised her eyebrow at him in questioning, but ultimately yielded with a sigh. 

“Very well.” She said as she stood up, “Coran, please take Keith back to the containment room. I'll show the rest of the paladins to their rooms.” 

“Will do Allura.” Coran replied, “Any objections Keith?” 

“...No, not at all.” Keith answered simply. He stood up as Coran walked over to him, and Hunk caught sight of the glowing cuffs on his wrists. Hunk’s heart dropped a little. He hated seeing Keith being treated like their prisoner. After all, the guy did treat them properly while they stayed in his shack, as well as made sure their mission was a success despite not being able to bond with the Red Lion like they’d hope he would. Sure he went about in a pretty... _ forceful _ way, but it had gotten them the Red Lion and ensured the Galra wouldn't follow them right? 

...Hunk wasn't sure how he felt about exploding an entire ship filled with soldiers though, enemy or not. 

Once Keith was led out of the room, Hunk and the others followed Allura quietly down another hallway, Shiro and Pidge walking in front as he and Lance trailed a few steps behind. The Princess walked in front of them without a word, creating an awkward atmosphere. 

Not that such a thing had ever stopped Lance.

“Hey, um, Allura?” Lance asked softly, “What...what are we gonna do with Keith now?”

“...I'm not sure yet.” She answered after a moment, “Right now, it seems that there are still things he is refusing to tell us, and it would be too risky to let him go free. So for now we will keep him with us in the castle until further notice.”

“...so he's our prisoner?” Shiro asked. 

“Shiro…” Pidge muttered, looking up at him, “Look I know Keith saved you and all, but are you really sure you can trust him?”

“I...I don’t know.” Shiro admitted, “But I know for sure it was Keith who got me out, and I remembered some of the things he told me.”

“You do?”

“Yeah...I remembered him telling me about that constellation, some of the arguments we had, and about how he told me about his...heri...tage…”

Shiro’s voice slowed to a stop as his eyes widened. His organic hand flew up to his head as his face scrunched up in confusion. At once, it was clear something was going on.

“H-Hey! What’s wrong?” Pidge asked, his tone filled with the same concern Hunk was feeling, and just like that, everyone stopped and looked at Shiro.

“Shiro?” Allura’s voice was a lot softer now, sounding much more like the gentle princess who introduced the Lions to them instead of the cold interrogator from moments ago. Hunk, under any other circumstance, would’ve been relieved at that, but now wasn’t the time. 

“Keith’s mark…” Shiro muttered, “I...I remember the red mark on Keith’s face. I...I’ve seen it before. But he...he was in either full Galra or human form the whole time…”

“Woah are you sure Shiro?” Lance exclaimed, “I mean this is kinda major information!”

“Yes I’m sure!” Shiro replied, “When I first realized Keith was Galra in Sendak’s ship, the first thing that I saw was the marking on his face. It was what made me recognize him as the Galra who guarded my cell.” 

“...Keith never mentioned showing you what he actually looked like, did he?” Hunk realized, finally voicing what everyone was probably thinking. As soon as the words left his mouth, it was like a new kind of uneasy atmosphere had settled upon them in that little hallway. Hunk felt his stomach turn uncomfortably. How...how the  _ quiznak _ could Shiro possibly have known about the mark if Keith never showed him?

“...We will have to question him about this tomorrow.” Allura concluded, “It would appear that both you and Keith have some issues with your memories, either that or Keith really is intentionally hiding information from us. We need to get to the bottom of this, and figure out just what the truth is before we can determine what to do with him.”

“‘ _ What to do with him’ _ ?” Shiro repeated, looking up at her, “Princess please tell me you don’t intend to throw him out of the castle.”

“I have no such intentions Shiro,” Allura assured, “I am merely talking about whether he will stay our prisoner or not. I have some...conflicts of my own regarding his circumstances, and thus I would like to make sure those are resolved as well before a decision is made.”

“You mean what we discussed earlier Allura?” Pidge asked softly. Allura gave him a look, but nodded nonetheless.

“Exactly Pidge, but we’ll discuss that tomorrow as well.”

“Will we be allowed in that conversation or…” Lance said, his light-hearted tone returning, but Hunk nudged him quickly and shut him up. He realized it was Lance’s default of going into “goofball” mode to deal with the tension, but now wasn’t the time for him to start running his mouth. 

Hunk got a pout from Lance for his efforts. 

Allura sighed. “Of course Lance. We’ve been meaning to talk to the rest of you about that as well, but there wasn’t an appropriate time to mention it.”

“Oh...okay then.”

“Very well, since that has been decided, I’m sure you’re all more exhausted than ever. Let’s hurry to your rooms.”

“Yeah...I guess we could all use some rest.” Pidge added on. 

Hunk made no comment, just looking at everyone as they slowly resumed their walk. It had gotten awkward again, and it was really running Hunk’s nerves down. He just wasn’t sure what to do at all. He watched the others, seeing the stiffness of Allura’s posture, the constant fidgeting of Shiro’s arms, and Pidge talking his little robot into his arms and close to his body. He glanced over at Lance as well, and found that Lance seemed to be watching the rest pretty intently too. He noticed Hunk’s gaze, and responded with a half-hearted shrug and a forced ghost of a smile. 

Hunk wasn’t able to find it in himself to return the smile. 

Eventually, they all got to a new, long hallway in one of the higher floors of the castle. There were several, simple doors lined up neatly on one side of it, and Allura turned to them. 

“Well, here are the rooms the servants used to stay in.” She explained, “They’re currently the only ones that are in perfect order right now, so you may stay in them until Coran and I can prepare the more comfortable ones for you later.”

“That’s fine Princess. Thank you.” Shiro said, a tremble in his voice as he attempted to maintain control. Hunk felt really worried for him. He wished Keith was around, since Keith had been the one Shiro seemed most comfortable with, but then again, Keith was currently the reason for all this as well, wasn’t he? 

Allura nodded, giving Shiro a sad smile that seemed just as forced as Lance’s was a minute ago. “All right, just place your hands on the panels next to the doors, and it will register you as the occupant of the room. After that you may rest as you please. Feel free to take a shower and change into some of the robes if you’d like.”

“Yeah, thanks Allura.” Hunk found himself saying. 

Allura only gave them that smile again, before she left them to themselves. Hunk hoped she got some rest herself. She definitely seemed just as exhausted as everyone else.

“...well, I guess, I’ll head into my room now…” Pidge said first, making his way towards a door down the hallway a little, but Lance stopped him. 

“Pidge, can I ask you something first?” He asked, and Pidge turned to look at him skeptically.

“What is it Lance?” 

“Look, I get that we don’t know if it’s safe to trust Keith or not, but don’t you think you’re being just a little... _ unfair _ ?”

“ _ ‘Unfair’ _ ?!”

“Come on Pidge you were the least suspicious of him back on Earth, heck you almost seemed excited to meet him, and now you’re acting like it’s personal that he’s…”

“It is personal Lance! Yeah I was excited, but that was before I found out he was one of those who took my father and brother away from me!” 

Hunk’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

“...My crew on the Kerberos mission,” Shiro clarified, “Sam and Matt Holt were Pidge’s family.”

“Oh...so that’s why…?” Lance whispered, suddenly so reserved. Pidge groaned, looking away. 

“Look , Lance,” He said, “I’m gonna be honest with you. I know Keith helped us and make sure we were taken care of despite everything. I know Keith must have his reasons for hiding things. But I can’t...I can’t look at him without thinking about what my father and brother might have gone through, especially not after we learned what Shiro went through. I just...I just can’t.”

“But Pidge…” 

“I’m going to my room.” Pidge cut him off, and without another word, he hurried into his new room, closing the door behind him. Hunk stood there with Lance and Shiro, with Lance now wearing a guilty expression on his face. 

“Oh man...I really put my foot in my mouth huh…” He muttered, his usual habit of rubbing his arms acting up again. Shiro sighed, but gently placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“It’s not your fault Lance.” He assured, “This is a difficult situation, and Pidge just having it a little harder than the rest of us because he’s worried about his family.”

“Yeah I guess...thanks Shiro.”

“What about you though?” Hunk asked Shiro, “I don’t mean to bring it up again, but you had to deal with the Galra directly in a pretty messed up way too.”

“...Honestly Hunk, maybe if I could actually remember all that happened, I’d be acting different. But, regardless of the things I don’t remember, I know for sure that Keith was the only reason I didn’t go completely insane in there. I want to put my faith in him, even with my memories being as bad as they are.”

“I...I see.”

“Okay, yeah, we should really just get to our rooms now.” Lance pointed out, “Sorry I held us up.”

“You didn’t, don’t worry about that.” Shiro said, and Hunk nodded in agreement. He needed to talk to Lance. He couldn’t let Lance go through the rest of the day thinking he messed up. 

The two watched Shiro enter his own room, and once he was out of sight, Hunk quickly turned to Lance. “Hey, you doing okay?”

“You’re asking me that?” Lance asked, but despite his words he didn’t sound the  least bit snarky or anything. Hunk gave him a look. Lance deflated at once. 

“Couldn’t hurt to try?” He said, giving a nervous shrug. 

“You and I both know that’s not true.” Hunk replied with an unimpressed expression. Lance gave him a pout in response. 

“...Yeah I know.”

“Wanna just talk it out?”

“You sure? You should rest.”

“A few minutes more wouldn't hurt me. Besides, I have some things I wanna ask you too.”

Lance blinked at that, as if he hadn’t expected Hunk to ask. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to oppose the idea. “Oh...well sure then Big Guy.”

“Your room then?” Hunk suggested, “I mean it's probably not to talk about some of that stuff out in the hallway.”

“Sure...but, mind if I get changed and cleaned up first? I mean, you know, and besides...it's getting a little tight around... _ here. _ ” 

Lance waved his hand in front of his chest, and Hunk immediately got the message. He gave Lance an understanding smile. 

“Sure. I kinda wanna get out of the uniform and into a shower myself anyway.” He told his friend. Lance flashed him a grateful smile and they both retreated to their new rooms for a bit. 

Hunk surveyed the room. There was a bed on the right side of the wall, structured to look something like a singular bunk bed. A desk and drawer set to his left, with a large closet next to it. There was the outline of a door in between the bed and closet, with a panel in the wall next to it. It was probably safe to assume that was the bathroom. It was definitely larger than the room Keith was in, but it wasn't that big either. In a way it was a little comforting, since it seemed to be about the same size as one of the dorms back at the Garrison. 

...Wow. Thinking about that really made him wonder about how long they were gonna stay here. Life back at the Garrison wasn't the best, but it was on Earth. It was still on his home planet. Now, who knows how far they were from home? How long would they be out here, if they ever were to make it back at all? 

An uncomfortable feeling settled in his gut. Would they ever be able to return to Earth, now that the weight of being a Voltron Paladin was on their shoulders? How long before the authorities at the Garrison told his family that he was gone? Would his grandmother, mother, and sister think he disappeared off to who knows where for no reason? How would they feel, not knowing if he was okay? Hunk knew that if either of them disappeared like that, he'd never be able to get over it. 

He sat down on the bed, placing his helmet beside him, unable to stop himself from thinking about it. All of them...they had a serious responsibility now. Hunk knew there was no way he could bring himself to walk away now, not while knowing that he could possibly help stop an evil empire of aliens from taking over the entire universe, and hopefully help end a ten thousand year old war.

However, his family, his other friends, and everything else he left behind in Earth...could he make it without them there? Could he really stay in outer space without ever letting them know what he was doing?

...there were so many questions he felt like he wanted to ask no one in particular. 

But...he remembered how he felt when he was in the Yellow Lion, when it... _ he _ comforted him during that incoming panic attack while they fought the Galra head-on together for the first time. He hadn't felt like he would make it out alive. He hadn't thought that he would be able to succeed in his role. He thought he was going to die, thrown into a war he wasn't involved in. 

But the Yellow Lion protected him, and made him feel completely confident and strong for possibly the first time in his entire life. He probably would never have been able to find the courage to ram the Lion into the enemy ship like Keith and Shiro had asked had he not had his Lion's encouragement. 

If Hunk was going to be honest with himself, he couldn't deny that he wanted to to do this. He really, really wanted to be able to do something to change the bad things caused by Zarkon’s Empire.

The problem was... _ Was he really up for this? _

It wasn't a secret to anyone that Hunk wasn't a good fighter or pilot. He was an engineer, a cook, a supporter, someone who did stuff behind the scenes and did them well. Putting him in such a direct role was putting him far out of his comfort zone. He knew that he couldn’t let himself keep thinking so much. It was only going to hold him back when things got serious. Regardless of his worries he had to tough it out. 

Everyone else were doing fine. Out of everyone, he probably had it the best. He couldn’t be the one becoming a burden to everyone else when he had the least to be worried about out of all of them. He just had to be there for those he cared about. That didn’t change now that they were in space. 

Sighing, Hunk walked over to the closet, picking out a random robe thing to wear. Once he chose something that seemed decent enough, he turned to the bathroom, opening the door simply by placing his hand on the panel next to it. Once inside, he wriggled out of his paladin armour and undersuit (which he was still really  happy it was able to fit him) and looked to see if he could put it somewhere. He ended up placing it inside a small compartment thing jutting out from the side of the room. Immediately, the compartment whirled to life and shot into the wall, taking the armour with it and startling Hunk significantly. 

Oh man. Please let the armour be okay and not eaten alive. Please let that thing not be some sort of weird alien clothes shredder. 

Fortunately, his worries were in vain this time. The compartment shot out from the wall again after a few seconds, and there lay his armour, all clean and shiny. Huh. That was convenient, but Hunk wasn't sure he'd get used to that anytime soon. 

Moving on, Hunk hopped into the assumed shower, taking a minute to figure out some of the controls before he was rewarded with warm water falling directly from the ceiling. He sighed in a moment of content as he began to wash himself. 

As he stood under the water, the thoughts started to come back. This time though, instead of questions, the thoughts came as memories of Earth. 

He thought about the times he and his family would head down to the flea markets near his home and later spend the nights experimenting and creating new delicious dishes together. He thought those visits to the nearby beach and catching fish and crabs at the docks with the old man who lived there in a hut. He thought about those days at the Garrison after meeting Lance, spent trying to keep his best friend out of trouble while the guy flirted with almost the entire female population of the school, as well as a few guys here and there. 

Hunk cracked a smile at that, but it soon faded. Those days...it really would be quite a while before he could return to them, if he ever did at all. He was going to miss Earth badly, he just knew it. It's had only been a day away, a really long day maybe, but still only  _ a day _ . And yet, he was already homesick. He already wanted to go home.  

Hunk grunted in mild frustration as he got out of the shower to dry off. He tugged on the robe, which was unfortunately a little on the tighter side (he'd have to ask Allura about that when he had the chance), but otherwise comfortable enough. He left the bathroom just in time to hear a knocking on the door to his room. He went to open it, and as expected, Lance stood there with a slightly sheepish look on his face, dressed in a loose, blue and yellow robe.

“Hey buddy. Mind if I come in?” He asked casually. Hunk raised an eyebrow, but stepped away from the door anyway. 

“I thought we were gonna talk in your room.” Hunk commented as they both sat down on Hunk's bed. Lance shrugged. 

“Eh. I finished pretty fast so I just came over first.”

“Oh. Sorry if I made you wait.”

“Pfft, nah. I was probably just rushing a bit for no reason. So no need to apologize.”

“Okay then. So you feeling any better?”

“Yeah, it's a lot easier to breathe now. Probably wasn’t my best idea to wear my binder underneath all that.”

Lance stretched his arms out and let out a huge breath, as if for emphasis. That didn’t mean Hunk wasn’t concerned. Given how tiring the day was...

“...please tell me you don’t plan on doing that again.” Hunk scolded mildly. Lance grinned slightly in response.

“Don’t worry,” He assured, “the black undersuit was tight enough as a substitute. Honestly the only reason I wore it today was cuz there wasn’t time to take it off when we were changing earlier. And…”

“...I’m guessing you didn’t want the others to find out just yet?”

“Well, yes and no, kind of. I mean, it’s not that I think I’ll have much of a problem telling them I’m trans or anything, but I just don’t want to make a big deal about it. And besides, it’s not exactly something you bring up before a big space mission to steal a Red Lion robot from a bunch of aliens. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Say ‘Hey guys gimme an extra minute here I have to take off my binder which is really difficult in this small space’?” 

“Yeah I guess not. But does that mean you’ve been wearing that thing since…”

Hunk paused, immediately giving Lance a look. Lance pressed his lips into a thin line, looking away. 

“Lance...”

“I know I know. But Hunk come on, even if everyone knew it’s not like there was ever a chance to tug that thing off.”

“...Fair point. Just watch how often you wear it now? I mean...we’re probably gonna get into a lot of battles from now on.”

Lance instantly deflated at that. “Right...we’re... _ Paladins  _ now huh…”

Hunk didn’t answer. He didn’t want to say everything he was thinking about earlier. Luckily for him, his best friend was a talker. 

“Wow…” Lance muttered, pulling his knees to his chest, “I knew I wanted to do stuff out in space when I joined the Garrison...but this is way beyond anything I expected. Everything happened so fast, I guess I’m still a bit in of a shock.”

He paused, and Hunk looked over at him, only to find Lance staring straight at him. 

“Lance?” 

“...Hunk , what do you think about all this?” 

Lance's question caught him off-guard. It wasn't that Hunk didn't expect the question at some point, but he hadn't expected Lance to just change his tone so quickly. He suddenly sounded so serious, which was unusual for him. Hunk was used to Lance using humour and saying stupid things to distract them both from stressful situations. But now…this was just that serious huh? 

“...I don't know Lance.” Hunk eventually answered, “I mean Voltron is super cool, don't get me wrong, but after today…”

Hunk trailed off. What should he even say? Lance looked back down at his knees. 

“How long do you think we'll be out here?” He asked. Hunk looked down at the floor. 

“However long they need us as Paladins I guess.” He answered vaguely, “Who knows how long that will take.” 

They sat in silence for a while. Just keeping each other company probably. Hunk wasn’t really sure what to say. He wanted to assure Lance that everything would be fine, and who knows, maybe they will be, but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to convince both Lance  _ and himself _ of that. 

Eventually, but unsurprisingly, Lance spoke again. 

“Hey Hunk? You said you wanted to ask me something earlier. What is it?”

“Oh, right. Well...I mostly just wanted to know if you were okay. You did kinda almost blew up at Shiro when we talked about his condition.”

“...right...I guess I did over-react a little.”

“I wouldn’t call that an over-reaction. Just unexpected maybe?”

Lance sighed. “I just don’t want him to treat his PTSD as something trivial. I know he’s like, our leader and all, but I’m just worried he’ll take things too seriously and hurt himself somehow. I mean...I know how badly that can turn out.” 

Hunk’s eyes widened as he remembered. That’s right, Lance had personal experiences within his own family. No wonder he took Shiro making light of things so seriously. How could Hunk have forgotten that?

“I should probably apologize though.” Lance said again, switching his position around so that he was now sitting cross-legged on the bed, his body hunched forward and his face leaning into his hands, “I mean yelling probably didn’t help anything.”

“I’m sure Shiro would appreciate it.” Hunk agreed. He took a deep breath, thinking about that  _ other thing _ he had wanted to ask.

“So Lance,” He said, looking over at his best friend, “what do you think of Keith now? I’m...I’m kinda worried about what will happen to him.”

Lance’s eyebrows shot up, but quickly lowered to show the evident concern Lance felt as he dropped his gaze. 

“Me too Big Guy.” He replied slowly, “I know I didn’t trust him much at first, but I can’t say I can bring myself to hate him now. I mean, I can understand some of what he went through. Hiding who you were out of fear? Yeah, been there done that.” 

“Yeah, it’s probably why he didn’t want us to know. Probably also why he thought he couldn’t pilot the Red Lion...I wonder if the Black Lion would respond to Shiro if the red one doesn’t have a Paladin.”

“If that’s the case...that means it’s just you, me, and Pidge right now. Man, that’s really a lot of pressure there.”

“No kidding…”

Hunk squirmed at the thought. He didn’t really think about that little detail as much. His mind started reeling, all those earlier worries starting to come back. That was when Lance placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“You doing okay Hunk?” He asked. Hunk blinked at him. 

“Me? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I guess.” He replied in a manner that was not worried at all. Lance gave him a skeptical look. 

“Hey man, if you don’t want to talk about it I respect that, but I’m here if you need me okay?” 

Lance was giving him that honest smile again. Hunk knew Lance would be there for him, but he really wasn’t sure if he would be able to bring himself to burden his best friend, who already had enough to deal with. Still, the gesture was greatly appreciated. He returned the smile. 

“Thanks Lance. I’ll...I’ll keep that in mind.” 

At that, Lance smiled a little wider, and hopped off the bed, giving his legs a little stretch. 

“Well then,” He said, “I’m starting to get a little sleepy. So I’m gonna head back to my room and hit the hay.”

“Sure thing. Have a good rest.” 

Lance gave a nod and headed to the door. But before he left it, he turned back to Hunk. 

“Thanks for the talk Hunk. If nothing else, I’m just glad you’re here in this with me.” He said quickly. Hunk’s eyes widened at that, but found himself smiling a little more as well. 

“Me too Lance. I’m glad you’re here too.” He replied. Lance gave him a thumbs up, then disappeared through the door. Hunk stared at it for a moment, before he finally let out a huge sigh and flopped onto his back on the bed. 

Talking with Lance really did ease some of the stress. Not all of it, but it was a good reminder that he wasn’t alone in all this. He had to hang onto that, and knew he had to keep himself strong. He  _ really  _ couldn’t let himself become a burden to this team, to Lance. 

If he was going to do this, he was going to make sure he did it right. 

He was going to be a Paladin of Voltron, he had to keep it together. For their sake. 

As the lights dimmed in the room, the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with Hunk, and he drifted off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Lance is FTM transgender in this AU, partly based off a friend of mine who loves him. They're pretty similar, so I thought it'd be nice to try writing him as one, in fact, the conversation about the binder was based off an actual conversation we had after a sporting event. Frankly, I found it quite fits. By the way, I didn't mention this in the first two chapters as an attempt to reflect on being in the closet, as well as imply that Lance didn't find himself being trans a huge deal. I did hint on it here and there, so if you want you can go and look for those hints. (By the way if you're transphobic please leave. I'd rather lose a few readers than compromise this.)
> 
> By the way, Lance doesn't have the whole rivalry with Keith right now because they never met at the Garrison. So their core relationship is gonna be quite drastically different from the show. 
> 
> As for the other thing, yeah, it got personal writing as Hunk. I grew up having a lot of anxiety, and writing Hunk this time made me think of a lot of things that I've experienced in my own life. I tend to over-think things a lot, even when I know I don't have much to worry about, and also I really don't take new experiences well. I used to also feel like I needed to keep things bottled up so I could support my friends better or they'd stop being my friends, so I brought that up with Hunk too. I don't feel like that anymore (much), but because Hunk seems to be the supporter of the group, I felt like this would easily be a legitimate concern for him. So you see, this chapter was kind of like writing some of my own life into Hunk's perspective, so I'd appreciate it a lot if you guys can understand that. 
> 
> Anyway that's enough for now. Next chapter is a Pidge and Allura chapter, so please look forward to it!


	9. Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge and Allura address their doubts regarding Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys I know I'm late by a lot, and I apologize. This chapter was pretty hard to write. I deleted about two drafts of this, and one completed version was decided to be terrible by both me and my beta-reader. I also had to deal with a few complicated things in real life, particularly with my graduation and my internship, and near the last few weeks of writing this, some serious family issues arose. For the latter issue, it's basically still ongoing right now, so I will be taking a break from writing altogether for a while to deal with this. Hope you understand. Thanks for reading.
> 
> Side note: I finally broke 100, 000 words. Achievement Unlocked. Also, if anyone can recognize the reference I snuck in, well, good job. ;)

**** It took Pidge a few minutes to remember where she was when she woke up, but Rover beeping in excitement at her was a pretty good reminder. She couldn’t help a chuckle as she dragged herself out of bed. 

“Good morning Rover.” She yawned, petting the little guy as she got up, similarly to how she would’ve petted her family dog Gunther back home. Briefly, she thought about what she’d left behind on Earth, particularly her mother. She felt a sharp pang of guilt at leaving her all alone, but she also knew she now had a chance to bring her father and brother home. Pidge knew her mother was strong-willed, she just hoped she wouldn’t have to wait too long. 

After washing up in the small bathroom and changing out of those weird Altean pajamas the room had provided her, Pidge moved to head out and meet everyone for breakfast, before she stopped at her open doorway. Rover seemed to notice her hesitation, and hovered up to her with a few concerned beeps. 

“Oh , I’m fine Rover, just thinking.” She said to the little robot, who somehow didn’t seem convinced. He nudged her, as if urging her to tell him the truth. “Hey really, I’m okay. I just...I’m just not sure what I’m gonna say to the others later…”

Yeah, Pidge wasn’t sure at all. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what happened yesterday, especially about the issues regarding Keith. She hadn’t lied to Lance when she said she couldn’t help but think of Keith as part of the forces that took her family from her, and yeah she still couldn’t say for sure that she trusted him at all, but after she cooled her head through the night, she wasn’t able to continuing denying that she had been unnecessarily aggressive to Keith and the others. 

Pidge had been scared, angry, and confused. She had taken it out on the rest, especially Keith, and she wasn’t sure what she could do about it. 

“Well, whatever I do, I might as well get over it.” She mumbled to herself as she left the room, Rover deciding to perch on her shoulder instead of hovering like usual. 

Pidge walked slowly, thinking a little more. Out of everyone, she probably should’ve understood Keith’s situation the best. After all,  _ Pidge Gunderson _ was just a name she gave herself while hacking into the Garrison files with Matt’s favourite  Pokémon  on her mind. Yet, she seemed to be the least accepting of him being here, next to Allura maybe, but even Allura wasn’t as hostile as she was the previous night. Irony at its finest. 

Pidge soon found her way to the dining room, where Shiro and Coran seemed to be having a light conversation. As she entered, however, they stopped and turned to greet her. 

“Ah good morning Pidge.” Coran said first, offering a small wave, with Shiro giving her a small smile.

“Good morning.” Shiro greeted as well, “I was just asking Coran about some Altean history. You wanna join in?”

“Um, good morning. And sure? Why not?” Pidge said somewhat awkwardly. She sat down next to them, Rover settling on her lap like a content puppy, casting a sideways glance at Shiro, who didn’t really respond to it, “So um, what kinda history were you talking about?”

“I was just telling Shiro about the story of the peace treaty between Altea and the Kingdom of Meridian, of Planet Kandrakar.” Coran declared excitedly, “It happened soon after Queen Fala, Allura’s great-grandmother, helped the lost queen of the kingdom reclaim the throne from her tyrant brother. They merged the signing of the treaty with the lost queen’s coronation, and it was one of the grandest ceremonies between two planets the universe had ever seen.”

“The Meridian queen had been hidden away on another planet because her brother had tried to assassinate her to take the throne.” Shiro summarised, “Queen Fala had found her during a diplomatic mission and befriended her, even though the kingdom had been on terms of conflict with Altea.”

“Yes, it was quite the story.” 

Pidge turned to see that Allura had entered the room, the sleepy mice on her shoulders and hiding in her thick hair. 

“Oh good morning Princess.” Coran greeted cheerily, Shiro and Pidge both echoing the greeting with less enthusiasm. 

“Good morning, but where are Hunk and Lance? It seems to be getting quite late.” Allura responded, frowning slightly in disapproval. 

“They’re probably sleeping in a bit.” Pidge explained, having spent enough time having to be their personal alarm clock by banging loudly on their dorm room door on any day after a major exam or something, “They like to sleep off stressful situations.”

“I had thought I had given enough time for rest…” Allura commented, raising an eyebrow, “Usually we would’ve had you all on your feet and ready for training hours ago.”

“Um, well, maybe just let them relax a little longer? We humans take a little longer to adapt to different things, and meeting aliens would definitely be something we need to get used to.” Pidge replied with a shrug, to which Allura responded with a little more frowning, but didn't object. Next to Pidge, Shiro made no comment, but he seemed to be watching Allura’s reaction carefully, but subtly enough that it wasn’t straight-up staring. Coran just looked between them in concern, not saying a word. 

“Well I was hoping to talk to everyone as soon as possible.” Allura said as she sat down, the mice scurried down from her shoulders and curled up on the table, each of them yawning a little as they seemed to fall back asleep, “I wanted to discuss our next course of action, especially regarding the lions and Keith’s situation.”

“About Keith?” Shiro asked, suddenly tense. He seemed uneasy, and honestly, Pidge wasn’t looking too forward to such a discussion either. Allura seemed to notice their discomfort, and quickly addressed it. 

“Don't worry, I don't intend to force him to leave.” She clarified, “However, given the lack of some particularly important details in his story and the fact that he was once part of the Galra Empire, we must stay cautious. That being said, I am considering his role among us.” 

“Princess, does this mean you're going to give him a chance?” Shiro asked, sounding hopeful. Pidge frowned to herself, unsure of how she felt about that. 

“I suppose I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.” Allura answered, clasping her hands together in front of her, “He did help us during the mission with the Red Lion, and it would be unfair to treat him solely as an enemy under such circumstances.” 

“About the Red Lion, Allura…” Pidge started to say, but before she could ask her question the sound of the doors opening reached her ears, and her two Garrison teammates stumbled in, both clearly still sleepy. 

“G’morning…” They both groaned in sync, Hunk going the extra mile with a huge yawn as Lance rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. 

“What's for breakfast?” Lance asked instead of Hunk, surprisingly, as they both grabbed a seat to slump into, “I don't think we've eaten anything since leaving Earth.” 

“Don't worry, breakfast will arrive shortly.” Coran assured, “I've already made all preparations, for today, it's not much but it will suffice until we get ingredients for a proper meal.” 

“In the meantime, I'd like to discuss things with everyone. Is that all right?” Allura asked in a calm and gentle tone, but for some reason, Pidge couldn't help but feel that there was some hidden animosity in there. She didn't comment though. 

“Discuss things? Like what?” Lance yawned, covering his mouth slightly with his hand. 

“Allura wanted to talk about what we're gonna do next, and about Keith.” Pidge answered before anyone else, “We do kinda need to decide what to do before flying into anything blind.” 

“Oh...Yeah that’s fine I guess…” Lance mumbled, instantly looking a little uncomfortable but more awake, slightly glancing at Hunk, who hardly seemed to notice. 

“Good.” Allura said, relieved, “So then, let’s begin. Before anything, I want to know whether you all think Keith should stay, or if he should leave. I've already stated that I'm willing to offer him a chance to stay, at least as repayment for helping us retrieve the Red Lion, but I want to know what you all think as well.” 

“You're gonna let him stay?” Hunk exclaimed, seemingly snapping awake. Everyone looked at him, and he backed down sheepishly. Lance gave him a light pat of reassurance as Allura continued. 

“Like I said, I wish to offer a chance. However, I will not make this decision without hearing your thoughts as a team. So I want to hear your honest opinions.” She clarified. 

“Are you sure it's a good idea though?” Pidge found herself saying, “Keith was still part of the Galra army before. And the fact that he can't seem to remember how he got to Earth is still suspicious. Not to mention the fact that Shiro seems to remember his mark even though Keith never showed it to him.” 

“Pidge, Keith  _ saved _ me.” Shiro responded solemnly, “And we never would've found the Blue Lion, or Allura, if he hadn't betrayed the empire and broken me out.” 

“Shiro, I promise you, I get that.” Pidge replied, not missing the distraught and slightly sharp tone in Shiro's voice, “If it weren't for Keith, I may have never had a chance to find out what happened to my family. It wasn't like I would be able to learn anything about the Galra from Earth. But you can't deny the possible risk of him being some sort of spy.” 

“I don't think he could be a spy.” Lance spoke up, raising a hand halfway up for some reason  “I mean, he could've given up all of us to the Galra yesterday, but he didn't. He sounded like he actually tried to get the Red Lion, and when he couldn't he decided to make sure the Galra couldn't either.” 

“I second that.” Hunk agreed, “I mean he had the perfect chance to turn us in before we could even get started. He was alone and off the comms for a while, and I saw how he jumped into Sendak’s attack to stop Shiro from getting hurt.” 

“So, you're both saying you'd like him to stay?” Allura asked, eyeing the two carefully. They seemed rather unnerved at her stare, but both nodded firmly. Allura responded with a quick nod of her own, then turned her attention to Shiro. “I suppose the same goes for you, Shiro?”

“...yes it does. I want to repay Keith for what he’s done for me.” Shiro answered. 

“I must say I would like to have him stay as well.” Coran suddenly said, “I admit I have some reservations, but I don't think I would be able to bring myself to possibly send him to his death. The universe, as it is now, would never forgive the freedom of a traitorous Galra soldier.”

Pidge suppressed a shudder, her arms circling Rover and pulling the little robot in a little closer, which resulted in a small, surprised beep. From what she'd been told and what she had experienced so far, it was easy to see that the Galra were definitely a ruthless and cruel species, and who knew how many enemies they'd made. If Keith was found by basically anyone from either side...she didn't want to think about what they would do to him. 

“Um...Pidge?” 

Pidge’s head jolted back up when Hunk addressed her, and she instantly realized that she was now the only person at the table who hadn’t given an opinion. The others were making it pretty obvious too, as everyone was looking at her now. Well. Talk about  _ awkward _ .

“Pidge, care to share your thoughts?” Allura urged. Something told Pidge that there was something Allura expected from her, especially given their private conversation before the whole interrogation yesterday. However, Pidge wasn’t sure she could guess what it was. She dropped eye contact, feeling just a little uncomfortable being the centre of attention. 

“I…” She started saying slowly, thinking about her words as she went along, “I...I don’t know what to think. I mean, I can’t tell what Keith’s trying to do, and thinking about it just makes me think of my family, who were taken by the Galra like Shiro was. I...I don’t think I can trust Keith just yet.”

“Pidge…” Shiro muttered, but Pidge quickly shook her head at him.

“Let me finish Shiro. Look, I’m not saying he was responsible for that. I know it’d be unfair to think that just because he was part of their army. But there’s still a chance he could be against us, and I just don’t want to take that chance.”

“You want him to leave then?” Allura asked. Pidge looked up at her and met her gaze, and found Allura looking somewhat conflicted. She had to wonder what the Altean Princess was feeling right now. Pidge lost her father and brother, but at least there was a chance of them still being alive and reuniting with Pidge. Allura, and Coran for that matter, had lost  _ everything. _ Their home, their solar system, and everyone they knew. And they had no hope of ever seeing them again.

How was Allura dealing with Keith being here better than Pidge? 

“I can’t say for sure how I feel.” Pidge finally said, deciding to keep her internal conflicts to herself, “I admit it, part of me wants Keith to leave, but I think I’d still rather he stay. Just, at least on the possibility that he really could help us, but I won’t trust him so easily.” 

“I see.” Allura said thoughtfully. Pidge wondered if she had been able to fulfill Allura’s supposed expectation of her, but if she had, Allura didn’t show it. Instead, she turned her attention to everyone else in the room as a whole.

“All right, thank you all for your thoughts.” She said, “I suppose we can agree to let Keith stay with us until further notice. He will be allowed to walk freely, provided he keeps the handcuffs on at all times. Are we at an understanding?”

Shiro in particular looked uneasy at the handcuffs comment, but otherwise everyone solemnly agreed to the terms without further objections. 

“All right. With that concluded, let's talk about how we are going to continue with the Lions.” Allura said, “Without the Red Paladin, we cannot form Voltron, so you four must learn to pilot them in direct combat, which is significantly more dangerous. Your training is to begin this afternoon, any objections?” 

“Uh, how much more dangerous…?” Hunk asked nervously. 

“Oh quite dangerous.” Coran replied,  _ oh so helpfully _ , “The individual Lions don’t have nearly as much power or defensive capability when separated. A few relentless Galra ships with ion canons would be more than enough to shoot you right out of the sky!”

Silence. Pidge and the other humans all stared at Coran like he’d grown a second head (Pidge hoped that his alien biology didn’t allow that, cuz that would be too much to handle at this point). Allura only brought a hand up to her face in a dainty face-palm, clearly exasperated. 

“So...really dangerous. Got it.” Lance finally said, pointing finger-guns at Coran half-heartedly with a pretty deadpan expression. 

“Will the Black Lion even be active if the Red Lion doesn’t have a paladin?” Hunk suddenly asked. He looked pretty nervous about it, and Pidge couldn’t blame him. 

“How can we even be sure that the Black Lion would accept me?” Shiro then asked, “With all due respect Princess Allura, you thought Keith would be accepted, but he wasn’t. What if the Black Lion doesn’t accept me either?”

Allura didn’t answer either of their questions immediately. Instead, she turned towards Pidge, who returned her gaze, quickly guessing what Allura wanted to talk about next. After all, Pidge had already asked her both those questions yesterday.

“Pidge had the same concerns both of you brought up. It was what we’d discussed in private.” Allura informed the others, “To answer Hunk’s question,” Allura told them, “Yes, the Black Lion would still be functional as long as it senses the quintessence of all other Lions within the castle. As for whether it will accept you Shiro, I must admit that I’m not sure.”

“Not sure?”

“Unfortunately. You see, I was absolutely sure the Red Lion would accept Keith. Galra or not, he was more than compatible, and I sensed an unusual power within him. Why the Red Lion chose to reject that, I don’t know.”

“So technically, Keith still qualifies as the Red Paladin?” Lance asked, and Allura gave him a strange look. She looked conflicted as she considered this, as if unwilling to accept the fact herself. Pidge wondered how much of that conflict she was hiding from everyone else.

“I suppose, technically, you are right.” She admitted, “But once a potential paladin is rejected, it’s next to impossible for them to be accepted later in the future. So whether or not Keith is still compatible, it would seem that we need to find another Red Paladin.”

Well that was going to prove difficult. They were already lucky enough with the fact that all the other Lions had already accepted them, but they were nowhere closer to assembling the “Universe’s Greatest Warrior” with one missing pilot. 

Pidge couldn’t help but feel a sharp pang of annoyance and worry at the same time over their situation. 

Just then, several plates flew into the room, each landing in front of someone sitting at the table. Pidge instantly drew back upon seeing the weird green goop that was on them. 

“Ah, looks like breakfast has been served!” Coran exclaimed excitedly, clearly glad with the change of subject. Allura, on the other hand, seemed a little irritated at the interruption, but only sighed.

“Well, I suppose we can eat first and decide what to do later.” She said, “Please eat paladins. You’re going to need your strength when we start your training later.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, what even if this stuff?” Lance exclaimed, poking at it with a spork. Pidge looked at the others, and each of them had various expressions showing their animosity towards the weird alien food. Hunk looked the least affected, mostly just cautious as he brought a sporkful of it to his face. Shiro seemed to be having some internal debate about whether he should touch it or not. Lance, ever the dramatic dork, was poking at it and jerking back as if the thing was going to rear up and eat his hand. 

“Why that’s  _ food goo _ !” Coran informed them, seemingly ignoring their obvious apprehension, “We don’t have a lot of rations or ingredients at the moment, so I decided to whip up a simple healthy dish from the resources here on Arus. Basically, we…”

Coran went on about detailing the process of making the goo, which, from what Pidge gathered, was using some kind of extractor to take the edible components of the ‘ingredients’ and compacting them into a solid form. She wasn’t paying much attention though, as she realized that there was one extra plate sitting in front of an empty chair next to her. 

“Um...Coran?” Pidge called, interrupting his detailed speech, “Did you make an extra plate?” 

“What?” Coran’s eyes then landed on the extra serving, and his smile dropped, “Oh dear, it seems I did. I suppose I had been thinking Keith would be joining us.”

“You made one for Keith?” Allura asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I don’t know if he needs it for now, but I suppose he was on my mind when I was preparing everything.” Coran shrugged. Meanwhile Pidge just stared at the plate, her mind somewhat blank. She wasn’t sure why, but…

“Well, since it’s already prepared, I’ll go bring it to him.” Allura declared, “You may all eat without me. And Lance, please, it’s not going to attack you.”

“Just making sure. I swear it moved.” Lance replied in defense as he continued to poke and prod at it. Hunk subtly made an exasperated expression at him, but Lance didn’t seem to notice.

At this point, Allura had stood up, waking the space mice. She lowered her arms at them, allowing them to scurry up her them to her shoulders again. But before she could walk away from her chair, Pidge shot up, accidentally throwing a surprised Rover off her lap. 

“Allura wait!” Pidge exclaimed, ignoring Rover’s annoyed beeps at her, “Can, can I go instead?”

Allura immediately looked surprised, and so did everyone else. Even Lance stopped his obsessive poking at the goo to give her a confused and almost concerned look. 

“Pidge, why would you want to go?” Allura asked. 

“I…” Okay, maybe Pidge hadn’t thought this through, “I...I want to talk to Keith. Alone.”

“Alone?” Shiro asked, his brows furrowing, obviously worried. He was probably still worried, given how hostile she had been towards Keith yesterday. She couldn’t blame him if that was the case though. She frowned, but it was pretty much too late to turn back now.

“I’m not gonna hurt him or accuse him of anything Shiro, I promise.” Pidge assured, “And if he does try to attack me I’ll send Rover back. Just please, let me talk to him?”

“Are you really sure?” Allura asked her, worry obvious in her features. The mice were worried too, as they began to squeak in protest. 

“Just trust me, please?” Pidge almost pleaded. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure what she wanted to talk to Keith for. But something told her she needed to, maybe work things out with him herself without anyone else’s opinions affecting either of their decisions. 

Everyone just stared at her for a bit, not saying a thing. Then they all began to exchange quick, uneasy looks, all except Allura, who maintained firm eye contact with Pidge. Pidge hoped she could understand. 

Finally, Allura gave in with a sigh of defeat. “All right, but take the switch for the handcuffs. If he attacks you, at least activating the cuffs will slow him down enough for you to escape.”

“Thanks Allura.”

“You sure you don’t need anyone else with you?” Hunk asked. Of course he was concerned. Pidge was a little grateful, but at the same time, she also felt some annoyance at being underestimated. 

“I’ll be fine I swear.” She told them, before taking the switch from Allura and going back to pick up the plate and utensils for Keith, “Come on Rover.”

Rover beeped, probably still annoyed Pidge literally threw him for a loop, but hovered after her anyway. She could feel the others staring at he as she left, and it was unnerving. She urged her legs to move faster until she could no longer turn around and see the door to the dining room.

Once she did get out of sight though, she stopped dead in her tracks. What was she even trying to achieve here? She supposed she did want to ask Keith about the whereabouts of her dad and Matt, but she also felt like there was something else she needed from him, but what it was, was beyond her at this point. 

“Let's hope for the best then.” She whispered, and Rover hovered in closer to give her an encouraging nuzzle, “Thanks Rover.” 

It didn't take long to get to Keith's room. Pidge gulped, mentally preparing herself as she approached the door. Then she paused, suddenly hearing something. Keith’s voice, humming a soft and unfamiliar melody. 

Was this the song Keith had hummed to Shiro? 

Pidge tiptoed over to the door, trying to be as quiet as possible, she wouldn't be surprised if Keith had super hearing given his long ears, and she wanted to hear the song. She listened closer, mesmerised by the clear and soothing melody. It was so gentle, so unlike Pidge’s initial impressions of him. 

When she thought he was human, Keith had felt like some mysterious weirdo with self-confidence issues and an attitude. After the Galra reveal, he seemed to just become the former soldier of an enemy empire with no chill whatsoever when it came to missions. But listening to the song, Pidge really began to wonder what type of an actual  _ person _ Keith really was. 

Her mind wandered, the image of the red helmet cracked in her hands back on the Galra ship appearing in her head. Her thoughts from then seemed to fill her head, and she remembered that fleeting moment of wanting to get to know her new team better. Back then...that included Keith. That...that hadn’t changed. 

Eventually the humming stopped, and Pidge slowly found her way back to reality. She blinked. How long had she been standing there? She glanced at Rover, as if the little guy could give her an answer to her silent question, but no such luck.

“Well...better get this over with…” Pidge muttered, and instantly jumped when she got a reply.

“Who’s there?” Keith had called, apparently having heard her somehow. Guess her theory about those sharp ears were right.

With some hesitation, Pidge opened the door, watching it slide open to reveal a still human-looking Keith staring up at her in confusion from where he sat on the floor. For some reason, it was unsettling to see him still using his illusionary disguise, but for the sake of not being more of a hypocrite than she probably already was to him, Pidge decided not to comment.

“Pidge? What are you doing here?” Keith asked, a sharp edge of caution on his voice, but it was surprisingly less hostile than she had expected it to be. Pidge frowned, gulping a little, unsure if she should be suspicious or not.

“I brought you breakfast.” She told him, joining him on the floor and holding the plate of the green food goo out towards him, with Rover hovering over their heads in curiosity, before floating away as if to explore the room. Keith took one look at the plate and his eyebrows shot up so quickly they practically teleported into his hair. Well, seems like humans weren’t the only ones who weren’t used to this stuff. 

“What’s that supposed to be…?” Keith asked apprehensively.

“Coran calls it ‘Food Goo’, and honestly, it doesn’t seem like the most appetizing thing to me or the other non-Alteans.” Pidge answered as blandly as she could, hoping her usual deadpan facade was able to hide her nervousness. Fortunately for her, if Keith had noticed it, he didn’t show any signs that he did. 

Keith eyed the plate, making no move to take it from Pidge’s outstretched hands. He continued staring at it, somewhat similarly to what Lance had been doing earlier but without all the poking. 

“Why’d you even bring it?” He asked after a while, “I don’t even need to eat today.” 

“What do you mean you don’t need to eat?” Pidge retorted, lowering the plate, “You haven’t eaten since yesterday morning.”

“Look, I don’t know how Earthling biology works for you, but in case it wasn’t clear enough for you yet, I’m not an Earthling. I only need to eat once every  _ helfae _ .” 

“Every what?” Pidge drew back at the unfamiliar word, which Keith seemed to say in a particularly strange way, like he was growling lowly under his breath as he pronounced the word. Keith raised an eyebrow at her. 

“I’m guessing you don’t have a similar word in your language.” He commented dryly, “It means half a moon cycle.”

“You mean half a month?”

“A…’month’? Is that what you call your moon cycles?”

“Yeah. So...Galra don’t have weeks or anything?” 

“What’s a ‘week’?”

“Um, about a quarter of a month? It’s seven days?” 

“Huh.” 

And...cue the awkward silence. Pidge wasn’t sure what to say anymore. Keith really was an alien if he didn’t even know what a week was. Or was she technically the alien here? Eh…

“Why’d you come here?” Keith finally asked, looking up at her with those intense purple eyes, which were somehow just nothing more than mere illusions, “You clearly made your point last night about how much you didn’t trust me.”

Pidge frowned, returning eye contact. 

“I know.” She admitted, “Frankly, I still don’t trust you. I don’t...I just want to know where my family is.”

She had to bite her tongue a little to stop herself from telling him anything unnecessary. No need for more small talk. Might as well see if she could get some answers while she figured things out in her head. 

Keith regarded her warily, like she was an enemy deciding whether or not to strike him down. This only made Pidge feel more on edge, and she resisted the strong urge to the pull the handcuff remote out of her pocket. She had to given him the benefit of the doubt here, whether she liked it or not. 

“...If you don’t trust me, how would you even know I was telling you the truth?” Keith questioned, narrowing his eyes. 

“...I don’t. You could lie straight to my face and I wouldn’t know. But I’m willing to take that chance to get my family back.” Pidge replied. 

Keith continued staring at her for another few seconds, before he finally sighed and dropped his gaze. 

“Your father and brother are most likely still on  _ Lorka’av, _ in the  _ Eilarian Galaxy _ .” He told her, “It's where your father was first assigned, and where I sent your brother after his injury.” 

“Where?”

“Lorka’av is a huge planet full of natural resources, so the Galra turned it into a colony. Weaker prisoners are sent there to gather those resources. For your older father and injured brother, that was the most appropriate place to send them. It's possible that they could've been transferred at some point, but that's highly unlikely.”

“So they’re...they’re okay?” Pidge couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope and excitement. This was the first real clue she ever got to their whereabouts. Keith, however, sighed again. 

“I can’t guarantee anything. It’s been over several moon cycles since I last saw either of them, and I was never involved in the labour camps so I couldn’t even check their records.”

“Oh…” Pidge couldn’t help but feel disheartened upon hearing that. Keith evidently noticed this. 

“...Loraka’av is an important location to the military.” He told her, “If you can convince the Princess to attack and destroy the main base there, you’ll be able to cut off their access to important resources. You might be able to find your family then, or at least find out where they were sent if they got transferred. But there’s a lot of security, so you’d have to be cautious.” 

“I...I see. Thanks.”

Keith only shrugged. He looked down at the plate of food goo on the floor again, and picked it up, staring cautiously at the stuff. 

“You should go back.” He said, without looking up, “They might panic if you’re gone too long.” 

“I guess…” Pidge mumbled, but instead of doing just that, she looked back up at him, feeling compelled to say something, “Hey Keith, about yesterday…”

“I know.” Keith interrupted, grunting slightly, “You and the Princess were probably the only ones with any logic last night.”

“Wait, what…?”

“I’m just saying, you’d probably be right in not trusting me enough to stick around. I don’t know if anything was done to me back on the prison ship, given how I can’t remember how I got to Earth. It’s suspicious no matter how you look at it.” 

Pidge wasn’t sure if Keith was being genuine or playing mind games at this point. She was unsure, and wanted to find some way to clarify things. 

“...can I ask you something?” She asked, changing the topic, and Keith immediately looked cautious again, but he gestured for her to go ahead anyway, “Did you ever show Shiro how you actually look like? No illusions whatsoever?” 

To Pidge’s surprise, Keith’s caution seemed to morph into confusion instantly. 

“No.” He answered, sounding scarily genuine, “I never had a reason or chance to. I only ever told Shiro what I looked like, but I never dispelled my illusions in front of anyone except Thace... _ why _ ?”

Pidge shook her head, deciding it was counter-productive to explain at this point. “Nothing. I guess I’ll go back then.”

“Okay…?” Keith watched her as she stood up, but making no move of his own whatsoever. Pidge didn’t look at him, unsure what to think now. She called to Rover, who seemed to have been examining a random crack in the corner of the room, and he hovered back down to her. 

“Well, um, guess I’ll see you later?” Pidge said to Keith, with probably the weakest attempt at a wave she had ever given to anyone. Way to make it awkward Holt. Keith didn’t even try waving back though. He just gave an unsure shrug.

“Yeah…” He muttered, then properly looked up at Pidge, “By the way...thanks, I guess.”

“Er, sure. Okay, see you.”

Pidge hurriedly left after that, unable to stand the awkwardness any longer. She looked over her shoulder, catching Keith looking back to the plate of green goo with a concerned expression as the door closed, blocking her view. She stood there for a moment, contemplating basically everything. Rover beeped at her, but she only lightly patted him. 

She wondered how real Keith was being just now. She couldn’t help but feel he was being sincere with telling her where her family was and how they should be suspicious of him. Also, the surprise he displayed when she asked if he’d ever shown Shiro what he really looked like was extremely convincing. The fear that Keith could easily be lying and taking advantage of her lack of knowledge about him and everything else out here in space was there, but Pidge found that she was now so much less certain of that being the truth. She wanted to know Keith was telling the truth. Her mindset had done a complete 180. 

Pidge still couldn’t trust him, but now, she at least now she wanted to. 

She hoped that wouldn’t turn out badly for her. 

**_***_ **

Allura was considerably worried the entire time Pidge was gone. She found herself distracted, watching the mice scamper around her hands aimlessly, seemingly lost themselves, likely due to Allura’s state of mind. She glanced up at the table. Everyone had collectively decided to wait for Pidge’s return before eating, though Allura did suspect part of the reason, at least for the Earthlings, was the apparent apprehension they had towards their meal. No one spoke as they waited, somewhat awkwardly, aside from a few random comments from Lance, which did not initiate a conversation like he had clearly hoped. 

Eventually, Pidge returned, seeming distracted and confused. His bot Rover floated behind him, looking concerned.

“Pidge, is everything okay?” Allura asked once Pidge had sat back down at the table. He frowned at the question, slumping forward slightly. 

“I’m fine. Keith never tried anything.” He reported, “It’s just, I really just can’t tell what he’s thinking.”

“It is okay if we ask what you talked to him about?” Hunk asked. Pidge shrugged with anxious uncertainty.

“I asked him about my family.” 

That caught Allura off-guard. “Your family?”

Pidge nodded grimly. “Shiro wasn’t the only one taken by the Galra. My father and brother were taken with him. Keith says they’re on a planet called Loraka’av, where the Galra army gets a lot of their resources from.”

“Loraka’av?” Coran repeated in surprise, “It’s certainly been awhile since I’ve heard that name.”

“It certainly has been.” Allura agreed, “But the Galra have conquered it as well?”

“Keith said it’s where they get some of their most important resources.” Pidge confirmed, “He said that if we can take it out, we can deal a huge blow to the Galra forces, but it’s very heavily guarded.” 

Allura considered the new information. “It’s entirely plausible. Loraka’av was known as an extremely hospitable planet which, somehow, always seemed to be able to provide for quite literally any species that visited it. It would make sense for the empire to take advantage of that. However, whether Keith is telling the truth or not, it would not be wise to make that our first target. If it is heavily fortified, it would be too much of a risk to attack it before you are all properly trained.” 

“But…!” Pidge started to protest, but Allura managed to stop him with a firm shake of the head.

“Pidge, I understand how you feel. But we won’t be able to save them if we launch a reckless attack and get killed ourselves. You’re all inexperienced, and currently unable to form Voltron. It’s far too dangerous to send you in now when you haven’t even learned how to become one with your Lion. We need to prepare to make sure we can rescue them while keeping ourselves safe.”

“But we can’t just leave them there! What if something happens to them?!” 

“I know Pidge. As soon as we’re ready, we will go to Loraka’av. If they aren’t there, we will do everything we can to find them. I swear this to you.”

Pidge was clearly still upset, but he slumped over in defeat with a soft and reluctant ‘okay’. Allura felt guilty with having to delay his quest to find his family, but she knew it had to be said. Such a mission was simply too dangerous at the moment, no matter how much she wanted to fulfill Pidge’s wishes. However, that also meant that the paladins would have to be ready to fight as soon as possible.

“All right, I think that’s enough discussion for now, so let’s eat. There is a lot more to be done today.” 

After their meal, Allura decided it was best that they first allow the Black Lion to meet its new paladin. Shiro didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic, and Allura supposed she couldn’t blame him. She likely had the same fears he did, as she had been so sure about Keith becoming the Red Paladin, but was he rejected. Granted, it could likely be little more than the result of the Red Lion’s unstable temperament, but as they weren’t sure the reason, Allura couldn’t overlook the possibility that Shiro would also be rejected. 

She just hoped that wasn’t the case. 

Usually, all the Lions would be gathered in the main lobby of the Black Lion’s hangar. However, it was a rather tedious process for such a relaxed morning, and quite pointless, given that it also meant that they would have to wait a little longer while Lance, Hunk, and Pidge went to bring their lions over, not to mention having the extra trouble of quite literally drag Red Lion over as well. 

No, it would simply be easier to make use of the quintessence tracer. Much more efficient. 

Allura instructed the other paladins to remain near the back while Shiro was to stand in front of the doors to the hangar, so that he would be the first thing the Black Lion saw upon the opening of the doors. Meanwhile, she and Coran went the two control panels located on each side of the doors, to send out the signal to the other Lions to help awaken their leader. Allura hoped the Red Lion would respond, in spite of its missing paladin. 

A low purring sound echoed in Allura’s mind, followed by three others, each one calm yet strong. A sense of relief flooded through her, the Red Lion was at least allowing its power to reach the Black Lion. 

The massive doors soon began to open, and Allura found herself holding her breath as Shiro faced the lion. He looked stiff and uncertain, much like how Allura herself was feeling. 

Shiro walked into the massive room and up to the Black Lion, which remained immobile. Allura peered inside, and she could feel the Black Lion studying Shiro, trying to determine if he was worthy. But then, there was something different. 

She felt hesitation, and anguish. A feeling of wanting to take action, but also a reluctance to do so. Allura felt her eyes widen, and she looked up at the Black Lion. It wasn’t looking at her, but somehow, Allura knew it was studying her just as much as it was studying Shiro. The Black Lion wanted something from her...was it clarification? Reassurance? 

Was...was the Black Lion feeling sorrow? At the fact that its paladin had become a monster?

A sad rumble echoed in her mind, confirming her suspicions. The Black Lion was hesitant, because its paladin was had become the reason the universe needed saving in the first place, and it felt... _ responsible. _

Allura wanted to say something to the Black Lion, something to convince it to accept Shiro regardless and help take down Zarkon, but...she didn’t. Allura’s own conflicts regarding Zarkon were an entirely different matter, and she couldn’t let her own emotions affect the Black Lion’s final decision. 

Shiro must be accepted on the Lion’s terms, no one else’s.

Allura felt the Lion’s gaze leave her, a strange sensation, given how it never seemed to look at her at all, remaining completely immobile the whole time. Its focus was now entirely on Shiro. 

Finally, the Black Lion reared back, letting out a mighty roar that shook the castle. Shiro looked surprised, and Allura was barely able to make out the muffled screams of shock let out by the other Earthlings, but her attention was on the new Black Paladin. 

The Black Lion lowered its head close to Shiro, and Shiro in turn responded to it, reaching a hand out and making direct contact. Allura felt a flood of relief. With this, at least four out of five of the Lion had their paladins. She took a deep breath, and went to resume her duties.

“Congratulations Shiro.” Allura said brightly as she walked up to the two, “Now we can start your training.”

An indignant squawk sounded from Lance, making Allura raised an eyebrow.

“Right now?” Shiro asked her, an incredulous expression on his face as the others walked up to join them. Allura turned her gaze on him.

“Of course, we’ve wasted enough time for one day.” She reasoned, “And besides, the Galra will not wait for you to be fully trained before they attack.”

“I’m sure you’ll all be fine.” Coran urged them, stroking his moustache, “Sure, the previous Paladins had to train for years together, and while we may not have the Red Lion functional as well, meaning we cannot form…”

“Coran? You’re not helping.” Pidge cut him off as bluntly as possible. Coran paused, then shot Pidge a disgruntled look. 

“Well, anyway.” Allura interrupted before they could start some sort of debate,”Paladins, please get to your Lions and gather outside the castle. Coran and I will direct you from inside.”

The Paladins shared nervous looks, but there were no objections. Soon enough, after they had gotten properly attired and were ready in their Lions, everyone was finally ready to begin.

“All right Paladins. We’ll start with the basics for now.” Allura told them through the communications systems, “Coran and I will be running a diagnostics test on the castle’s defense at the same time, so just survive as long as you can without being shot down.”

“Wait what?!” Hunk exclaimed immediately.

“What do you mean ‘shot down’?!” Lance yelled as well. 

“I’m starting the multi-fire artillery. Coran, please help me check the power and stability levels.” Allura declared, not entirely paying attention to the paladins’ protests as she focused on getting the defense systems online. 

“Right away Princess!” Coran said with an enthusiastic salute, before he hurried to the other side of the room. 

Opening her viewing screens, Allura watched as the Lions began flying around haphazardly as the lasers began firing. A lot of frantic shouting came through on the comms.

“Allura are you trying to kill us?!” Pidge yelled in a panicked tone. 

“Seriously! This is crazy!” Hunk added, followed by a particularly high-pitched scream. Almost instantly after, the Yellow Lion was the first to take a few hits. Luckily, it was the sturdiest of them. 

That fact, however, seemed to escape Hunk, as he only began to panic more. 

“Hunk, buddy! You okay?!” Lance shouted.

“No! I'm not!” Hunk exclaimed in response. 

They both ended up distracted, and both took several hits at once. Pidge reacted by trying to help them, but also ended up getting shot rather badly. Allura winced, while she heard Coran gasp.

“Guys! Calm down and focus.” Shiro suddenly called, “You were able to hold your own against the Galra yesterday, just have your head on straight and you'll do fine.” 

“Well at least we expected for them to try and kill us!” Lance loudly protested, “This was a little more sudden Shiro!” 

“Either way, we can get through this!” Shiro encouraged, “We just need to - “

“WOAH!” A sudden scream cut Shiro off as the Green Lion became the first to crash onto the ground, inciting worried cries from the other three. Allura gasped. 

“Pidge, are you alright?!” She called. Pidge was silent for a few ticks, before an annoyed groan came through.

“Ugh...I’m fine. Why’d I go down so easy? The others took a bunch of hits too.” He complained, “And why are the castle’s defenses so unpredictable…?”

“They have to be, or they’d be too easy to avoid.” Coran answered.

“That’s right. When the castle is immobile, an unpredictable firing sequence is much more effective.” Allura added. “In any case, once you have landed, please remain there until the end of the session.” 

Pidge only let out another groan, and shortly after, the Blue Lion fell out of the sky and landed next to the Green Lion. 

“Okay...ow…” Lance grunted, as he too was now disqualified, “Well, I guess we’re just gonna chill down here Pidge.”

“Paladins, please…” Allura muttered to herself, bringing her hand up to her face in exasperation.

Several minutes later, both Hunk and Shiro also crashed. Allura couldn’t help but feel quite disappointed. She knew they were in no way trained experts, but they had done rather well against the Galra the previous day. Yet their performance in their first training was... _ terrible _ , in comparison. Also, the fact that Shiro, who hadn’t even piloted a Lion before that training session, had lasted the longest despite being the one with the least experience with his Lion, somehow made Allura worry about what might have happened had Keith and Shiro not destroyed the Galra ship. 

It was extremely unsettling. Allura trusted the Lions’ decisions, she really did, but there was a sliver of doubt forming. Humans seemed to react and adapt to things more slowly than both Alteans and Galra. Training might take longer than she initially thought. 

“Princess, perhaps we should focus on the Paladins’ bonds with their Lions?” Coran suggested suddenly, “We might not able to form Voltron right now, but strengthening the bonds between Paladins and Lions should make it easier for them to pilot after all.”

“That is a good suggestion Coran.” Allura said, giving him a grateful smile, “But some of the activities are rather high-level...do you think they would be able to handle it?”

“Well, likely not.” Coran admitted, stroking his moustache thoughtfully, “I must confess that I don’t really see them succeeding in some of the bonding exercises, but we have to give them a chance to prove themselves. Besides, we might not have much time…”

Coran trailed off, but Allura knew exactly what he meant. The Galra knew they were here, and it was only a matter of time before they had to leave Arus. In their current state, they would not stand a chance.

Allura internally sighed to herself, her mind beginning to drift back to the Black Lion. The genuine guilt and despair she had felt from it was haunting. The Black Lion clearly still felt its bond with Zarkon, and yet it still accepted Shiro, knowing it was for a good reason. 

Somehow, Allura could not help but think that  _ Keith  _ was in a similar situation, the only difference being that he seemed to hold no lingering loyalty to the Galra. Allura was still reluctant to trust him, but…maybe there wasn’t any other choice at this point.

“Coran? Can you help the Paladins through the exercises without me?” She requested, surprising Coran, “Maybe guide them through the basic flight exercises, at the very least?” 

“I suppose I could Princess, but where will you be?” He asked.

“I wish to speak with Keith.” Allura replied, “If we want to have him stay as an ally, I suppose this would be a good chance to start. But first…”

Allura trailed off for a moment, deciding to explain herself later. “Well, in any case, when you’re done, I’d like to ask you to prepare the healing pods. Or at least a first aid kit.”

Coran’s eyes went wide. “Allura, you don’t mean…?”

“I know the risk Coran. But please, I want to do this. As an Altean, and Keith as a Galra.”

“...All right. I wish you luck, Princess Allura.”

Allura nodded in thanks. She paused, but then quickly wrapped her arms around Coran, who seemed caught off-guard, but returned the gesture. “Thank you Coran.”

Before long, Allura found herself outside Keith’s door. It was silent in there, perhaps he was asleep? She knew Galra didn’t sleep much, at least not as much as Alteans did, but maybe he had chosen to rest? Only one way to find out. She knocked. 

Instantly, Allura received a reply. 

“Pidge? Did you come back?” Keith called out. Allura blinked, surprised at the calm tone he used. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. She briefly wondered how Pidge had felt coming here alone earlier, but quickly regained her focus and composure. 

“I’m afraid I’m not Pidge, Keith.” Allura declared as she opened the door, finding Keith sitting on the floor with wide eyes, and strangely, still under the guise of an Earthling form, “I would like to ask something of you.”

“Are you all going to be taking turns visiting me today?” Keith asked with a blank expression. Allura raised a disapproving eyebrow at his comment, but merely shook her head and ignored the comment. As she did, her eye caught sight of an empty plate next to Keith. 

“I see you’ve eaten the food Pidge brought you.” She said. Keith blinked, then looked over at the plate. 

“Um, yeah. It wasn’t bad.” He said with a light shrug. 

“Well, that’s good, considering that would be all we have to eat for a while.”

“Then I guess I’m lucky I don’t need to eat that often.”

Allura blinked. Was that a joke? Or just a random comment? She supposed it was the latter, given his rather blank expression, but either way, it was time to talk about the real reason for her visit. 

“Keith, please, I would like you to come with me. There is something I would like to do, and it involves you.” She told him. At that, Keith’s expression became rather wary.

“Will I be leaving soon?” He asked shockingly softly. His question, however, was a little more baffling. 

“Leaving? Did Pidge not tell you?”

“Huh?”

“We’ve all decided to let you stay, and perhaps be an ally to our cause. It was quite an unanimous decision.”

“Wait, what?!”

At this point, Keith’s expression was indescribable. He looked like he had been given the task of personally overseeing a peace treaty between two warring nations (which, Allura supposed, was a rather appropriate metaphor), which was certainly a daunting experience. It was not a reaction Allura had expected. 

“Why would you want me to stay? I could easily be a threat to you if you let me stay!”  Keith exclaimed. 

“Well do you intend to be a threat?” Allura responded, keeping her own emotions in check. She needed to see how he would react, and she could not let her anger at the Galra cloud her judgement. Not now.

“No! I mean...but…” Keith stammered, clearly confused now.

“If you’re not going to be a threat, then you have the benefit of the doubt.” Allura stated, “Listen Keith, you helped us retrieve the Red Lion, and prevented Sendak’s forces from reaching us. As the princess of this castle, I will not overlook that. I am willing to give you a chance, and so will everyone else. I suggest you don’t let this chance go.”

“But, Princess.” Keith argued, sounding slightly calmer, “Even if I don’t have any bad intentions I could still be a threat. My memory of my escape is gone for no reason, what if the Druids did something to me like they did to Shiro and the other prisoners?”

“Do you suspect they have?” Allura asked, suddenly feeling some newfound unease. 

“I don’t know. But there has to be some reason I can’t remember Princess. I just...I just don’t want that reason to become something that hurts Shiro and the rest of you.” Keith answered, dropping his gaze and protectively wrapping his arms around himself. 

Allura considered this. She couldn’t help but feel that he was being genuine, but either way, this information did not rid him of the possibility of being dangerous to the others. In fact, it might even have made things more complicated. What if these...these  _ Druids _ had done something? Was she ready to risk an attack from inside under these circumstances? 

Suddenly, a strange sensation of warmth passed through her, and Allura let out a soft gasp. She knew this feeling...the Lions? Were they telling her to give Keith a chance regardless? The last thing Allura wanted was to lose the chance to save the universe, but it seems like the chance itself was telling her to take the risk. 

Allura looked back at Keith, who still at his gaze cast towards the ground, so unlike any other Galra she’d ever met. Well, she supposed that she would be taking a risk with Keith either way.

“Keith, please. Just follow me.” She finally said, and turned to walk out of the room. Once outside, she glanced behind her shoulder, seeing Keith staring at her in confusion again, though not having moved a step apparently.

“Aren’t you coming?” She prompted. 

“Um, I’m coming, I guess…” Keith replied, still confused. 

Allura led them both to the training room, and she once inside, she opened a compartment near the door, pulling out some light armor, similar to that of the Paladins’. She handed the armor to Keith. 

“Please put this on. When you’re done, I will explain what is about to happen.” She told him. 

“What...what is this?” Keith asked, but Allura insisted he wait until he was ready. So Keith hurriedly put the armor on, some of the pieces making soft clicking noises as they knocked against each other, or the handcuffs that Keith still wore. 

Once Keith was properly attired, Allura looked him straight in the eyes, readying herself. 

“So Keith, are you aware of the shared culture Alteans had with Galra ten thousand years ago?” She asked him. 

“No. The only things we were only ever taught about Alteans was that they were traitors to Zarkon.” Keith answered. Allura pushed down the distaste she felt at that, continuing her proposal instead. 

“Very well. Then I shall tell you of a sacred custom our people once shared.” She said, firmly and not letting herself lose focus, “The Galra were a species of mighty survivors and fighters, unlike the Alteans, a species of diplomats. We were allies together for a very long time, but our clashing natures initially caused much conflict, which threatened our alliance. To prevent this, the combined royal families decided to introduce a way to deal with these conflicts. What they decided on, was a diplomatic duel.”

“A...a what?” Keith stammered, seeming like he recognized what Allura was suggesting now. She gave a firm nod. 

“A duel to settle conflicts fairly between the begrudged parties, in front of an audience and a judge from either side.” She continued to explain, “Taking the natural fighting spirit of the Galra into a fair contest based on Altean beliefs, these duels proved their worth and eventually became a sacred and shared custom of our people. We take on these duels based on the trust between us, and fight for our causes under fair and equal terms.”

“...So, you want us to fight? Why?” Keith finally asked after a pause. The look in his eyes seemed to shift from confusion to uncertainty, but now, there also seemed to be a sort of intensity to them, a fierceness that Allura once saw in another similar individual…long ago.

She shook her head, proceeding to deliver the final part of her explanation.

“I...I must admit that this is mostly due to a selfish reason. I’m going to be honest, and I personally don’t know if I want to trust you Keith. But you’ve helped us, and I cannot help but feel that you are sincere, especially now. I also know that you can bring many benefits to us as a former soldier for the Empire. However, I still feel nothing but anger and hatred towards the Galra right now, and I fear that my emotions will get in the way of what’s best for Voltron.”

Allura started to shake, but she couldn’t stop now. Keith said nothing, only watching her with wide eyes.

“What I’m trying to say is; I need convincing Keith. I want to know you can be trusted, but I want to make our bloodlines a part of this, because it is still too early for me to see the current Galra Empire, the Empire you served, as anything but the ones who destroyed everything I know. Yet I want to be reminded that that isn’t what the Galra are, I want to remember that your species isn’t one of mindless conquering and destruction. Right now, we have no audience, and no judge. There will be no one to stop either one of us, should we decide to go against one another. But, I’m willing to trust that you will honour this duel, if you will trust that I will honour it, despite how I feel.”

Allura took a deep breath, and finally made her declaration. 

“Keith, I wish to challenge you to a  _ Galtean Duel _ . Do you accept?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To quickly clarify, this is another character-building chapter. I wanted to work with Pidge and Allura because at the moment, the two of them have the most significant reasons for not trusting Keith (Coran was a contender, but with his personality it was even harder to write). I also worked on some minor world-building and exploring the two alien species we have at this point in the story. This is one of my favourite parts of writing this story, so please look forward to more once I get back to writing. Next chapter will properly move the plot along again, along with some action.


End file.
